


When You're Ready

by StayGolden3



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Steve Rogers, BAMF Peggy Carter, F/M, Modern AU, Peggy Carter & Angie Martinelli Friendship, Steggy - Freeform, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2020-06-26 17:31:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19773058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StayGolden3/pseuds/StayGolden3
Summary: Steve hated weddings. Well, not really, but he didn't particularly want to attend Tony Stark's wedding. When his best friend Nat, a mutual friend he shares with Tony, asks him to be her plus one to the wedding of the century, he finds it hard to say no. But before the wedding ceremony even begins, Steve already regrets it two times over when he realizes that the woman who could possibly be the love of his life, is not only engaged but turns out to be Tony Stark's adoptive sister, Peggy Carter. "Tony doesn't take kindly to the word 'adoptive' so I wouldn't mention it in front of him."





	1. The Wedding Date

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So this story is a modern AU. Steve is ex-military turned Picasso and Peggy needs a serious drink. I'll try not to take things too far from canon. I'd like to keep the integrity of the characters as they already are. I am open to constructive criticism, though, so please leave a comment! Thanks!
> 
> P.S. this is totally not beta'd or proofread. Sorry!

Music blasted through the speakers of Steve’s apartment as he focused on the canvas in front of him. It was his sixth commission this week, and while he was happy that his work was growing in demand, he couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by it.

He was putting the finishing touches on his signature at the lower right corner of the canvas—a tiny red, white, and blue circle with a white star in the middle—when he heard light footsteps. 

“It doesn’t matter how stealthy you are, Nat, I’m always going to be able to hear you,” Steve chuckled as he finished.

“I don’t know how the hell you do it, you’re not normal,” a sultry voiced grumbled behind him.

Steve turned and greeted Natasha with a smug smile. Her frown deepened when she noticed his finished piece of art.

“What the hell is that? A monkey on a unicycle? Really?” she asked, the arch of her brow making it clear she was critical of it.

“Different people have different tastes,” Steve shrugged, getting a final look at his work.

“I hope you’re charging them double then,” Natasha spoke, as she walked over to his couch. She plopped down on the soft cushions with her legs tucked under her.

Steve noticed how relaxed she was dressed. Her red hair was swept into a messy braid, and she wore workout leggings and a top. It wasn’t her usual attire unless she was heading to train.

“I’m guessing you’re not here to criticize my client’s eccentric tastes?” he asked, removing his paint-splattered smock.

“Can’t I just come to visit?” she smiled, feigning innocence.

Steve shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips. “No, not when you’re dressed like you wanna fight someone. Are you here to ask to kick my ass in a sparring match?”

Nat chuckled. “Give yourself some credit, Cap. I don’t kick your ass all the time. You did beat me that one time.” She was teasing him.

“Alright, what do you want?” he smirked, with a roll of his eyes. “It’s not every day you drop by. Though I am happy to see you, it’s been a while. SHIELD keeps you busy.”

Steve leaned over to give Nat a quick kiss on her cheek as he walked past the couch. He was headed towards the staircase that led to his bedroom on the second floor of the loft. 

“Actually, I came here to ask you for a huge favor that has nothing to do me kicking your ass,” she spoke loudly. Her voice echoed through the open space of Steve’s two-floor loft.

Steve walked back into her view and leaned against the iron railing as he put on a clean white shirt.

“For the last time, I’m not taking a SHIELD assignment. I’m retired, remember? I only consult. You, Bucky, and Clint are in charge.”

He adjusted his shirt and ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

“You forgot Fury,” Nat chimed. 

“Oh yeah, how can I forget him,” huffed Steve. “Wait, does Fury still tell people he lost his eye because he trusted the wrong person, or has he finally admitted that it was a cat scratch that caused him to lose it?”

Nat’s laughter erupted throughout the apartment. He loved bringing that up.

“Man, you gotta love a drunk Carol Danvers,” the redhead’s laughter faded into a chuckle.

Steve walked down the staircase and joined Nat on the couch. He wasn’t lying when he said he missed her. Ever since Steve had retired from SHIELD, they didn’t see each other as much as they hoped to. He lived in Brooklyn, and she lived in D.C., where SHIELD was headquartered. 

At times Steve found himself questioning whether he had made the right decision in leaving SHIELD. He had loved starting up the organization and watching it grow after his military career had ended. But after years of always fighting, it eventually took a toll on him. It made him realize he no longer had a passion for the job, and instead, it helped him rediscover another.

As a kid, Steve had always been artistic. It was one of the reasons why he was bullied so much in his childhood. That, and he was a tiny, sickly kid who looked like an easy target. But he never broke, even when his tormenters thought he would.

The bullying drove him to enlist in the military—and later, after a couple of tours—to start his own private security firm with his friends, Nat, Bucky, and Clint. He didn’t like bullies, and the world was full of them. So he fought them on a much larger scale.

But eventually, Steve got tired of the instability. Developing a private military company required working long hours and traveling non-stop. It became exhausting. So, he quit and got back to his earlier passions.

Now Steve was New York’s new up and coming artist, instead of America’s war hero.

“So… if this isn’t SHIELD related, what is it that you’re asking of me?” Steve inquired as he took Nat’s outstretched foot that she had shoved into his lap for him to massage. _She needs a serious pedicure._

“I need you to be my date to a wedding,” Nat told him with a small smile.

Steve scrunched his nose as he worked on her foot. “A wedding? You get invited to weddings?”

Nat kicked Steve in the abdomen with her other foot. “You’re not funny, you know. And yes, I get invited. I know I’m not the wedding type, but I can’t turn this one down. It’s supposed to be the wedding of the century,” she said mockingly.

Steve’s eyes narrowed after she’d said “wedding of the century.”

“If you’re talking about Stark’s wedding, then forget it. I declined the RSVP,” he said matter-of-factly as he removed her foot off his lap and sat up from the couch.

“Oh come on, Cap,” Nat whined uncharacteristically. He thought she was really going for the dramatics. 

She pouted as she followed him into the kitchen. Steve grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge and tossed one to her.

“Why isn’t Bucky going with you? I mean, you guys are _on_ , right? Or off?” Steve inquired, referring to Nat and Bucky’s long term, on-and-off the relationship.

Natasha and Bucky were two of the most significant people in his life.

Bucky had been Steve’s best friend since childhood. His family had taken him when he was 16 after his mother passed away from Tuberculosis. Although there was no blood bond between them, Steve always saw Bucky as a brother and nothing less.

Natasha had come into his life quite unexpectedly and not in the most friendly manner. He had encountered her while on assignment with the Army’s Special Forces. She had been a Russian spy who tried to assassinate him, but he refused to go down without a fight. It was the one fight Steve had won against her.

The redhead had been given full immunity from the U.S. government after providing useful information on the K.G.B. The deal had also included a new identity as a U.S. resident. So what was it that she did first with her newfound freedom? She sought out Steve for a rematch and kicked his ass. They had been best friends ever since. 

“Bucky’s going to be leaving on assignment with his strike team,” she explained. “And yes, we’re together.” Nat rolled her eyes.

Steve shook his head. He still couldn’t understand their complicated relationship, but then again, he didn't really want to.

“Please,” she begged, sidling up to his side and wrapping her arms around his waist.

_Steve chuckled. He knew Nat must have been desperate if her affectionate side was coming out._

“Fine. When is this thing again?” Steve conceded with a sigh, wrapping his arm around her.

“In two weeks,” Nat said matter-of-factly as she pulled away, all traces of affection gone and leaving Steve hugging nothing but air.

“I don’t know why you’re so against Tony,” he heard her say as she sipped on her bottle of water. “He’s the reason why SHIELD is so successful and why we’re rich. Honestly, do you think you would have been able to afford all this if he hadn’t come on?” she motioned to the interior of the apartment.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Tony is not the reason why SHIELD is successful. It was successful before him. He just helped expand it.”

Tony Stark was one of SHIELD’s most prominent clients. He had contracted SHIELD to protect his assistant—now-fiancée—after Tony had been kidnapped by a terrorist group. Then again, when his own personal bodyguard—Happy—had been injured in an accident. Eventually, Tony decided it was better to just offer them one giant contract. Now SHIELD was in charge of all realms of security for Stark Industries.

“Well, don’t bring that attitude with you to the wedding, please. I need you to charm everyone there for networking purposes. For some reason, old ladies and gay men love you.”

Steve choked on his water, laughing.

Ultimately, Steve ended up forgetting all about his next commission and spent the rest of his evening binge-watching a Netflix show with his best friend. She stayed the night, and the following day they sparred, which resulted in Steve getting his ass kicked like always.

Natasha eventually traveled back to D.C. with a promise from Steve that he would attend the Stark-Potts wedding as her date. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Steve did everything she asked of him in preparation for the wedding.

He bought a ‘fancy’ tuxedo, shiny shoes, got a haircut that ‘didn’t make him look like a hobo,’ and shaved his ‘hobo beard.’ Natasha was apparently not a fan of his beard, or hobos for that matter.

As the day neared, Nat informed Steve that they had been invited to Tony’s estate in upstate New York for pre-wedding activities. Unfortunately for Steve, that meant he had to go to.

They decided it was best to drive upstate instead of flying in on one of the Stark helicopters that Tony had offered. Steve didn’t feel comfortable getting there without their own means of transportation, and Natasha just really needed an excuse to drive her black Stingray.

“Wow, this place is pretty amazing. It’s on the river,” Steve admired from the passenger seat as they drove up to the 100-acre Stark compound. He had to admit the place was absolutely beautiful.

“A hundred bucks says you’re going to end up sketching this place before we leave,” Natasha snorted as they pulled up to the security gate.

Steve took out his wallet without taking his eyes off the view and handed her a hundred dollar bill.

“Too easy,” the redhead smirked, stuffing the bill in her bra.

Steve and Nat were instantly recognized by the SHIELD agents working the security gate as they drove up. However, they were still required to present identification and be searched. Nat had gotten special clearance for her gun, so she was able to keep it.

Steve was even more impressed as they drove into the compound. It was larger than what he had imagined with more than one building scattered along the solitary road that wrapped around the property.

“Do people actually live there?” Steve asked, pointing to some of the buildings in the distance. They looked sleek and contemporary, except for one. It was the one on the edge of the river. He imagined it was a boathouse of some kind since it had its own dock.

Nat shook her head. “Nah, some of them belong to Tony’s family members, and the rest are guest houses. 

The first building they drove by was the most obvious one because it had a helipad with a helicopter on it. Steve knew an aircraft hangar when he saw one. Though, the small runway behind it also kind of gave it away.

The fact that Tony had his own mini-airport wasn’t a surprise. On a few occasions, Steve had flown in a plane piloted by Tony. The guy could be an asshole, but he was a good pilot.

The next building was perhaps the largest on the property from what Steve could tell. It was a glass four-story building that looked more like some kind of facility than a home. It was sleek and contemporary, like most of the other buildings. Steve figured it had some sort of underground garage because of the wide inward sloped driveway on the side of the building that stemmed out to the road. 

“That place is awesome,” Nat grinned. “It has a gym, an indoor Olympic sized pool, a basketball court, a squash room, a virtual golf room, an elevated indoor track, and a go-kart track.”

“So… it’s a gym. With other amenities,” Steve nodded.

The redhead rolled her eyes. “It’s more than that, but yeah, sure, it’s a gym.”

He smiled. Nat was clearly becoming annoyed with him, and Steve was enjoying it.

Almost right next to the “gym” was what Steve believed to be Tony’s house. It matched the other buildings with it’s modern and glossy exterior, but the colorful landscaping surrounding it made it look homier. Nat pulled into the lengthy crescent driveway where there were already a few cars parked.

“Rhodey is here, and so is Sam,” Nat pointed to two of the cars as they walked towards the entrance of the home.

“I think that’s Clint and Laura’s car,” Steve pointed to another.

“I’m pretty sure that’s Thor’s over there, and only Bruce would drive a Volvo,” the redhead commented.

“You would know,” Steve snickered under his breath, which earned him an elbow to the gut.

Bruce and Nat had dated briefly at one point, but no one ever really knew why they hadn’t worked out. Nat never really talked about it, and Steve never pushed.

He really hated to admit it, but Steve was actually excited to be there. It had to do more with the beauty of his surroundings than what he was there for, but he still looked forward to it nonetheless.

“Maybe if you’re nice, Tony will let you ride one of his motorcycles. I know you’re a sucker for those,” Nat smirked as they walked up to the entrance of the house.

“I am always nice,” Steve frowned as they waited to be let in. The redhead snorted.

When they reached the glass double doors, they were greeted by the voice of Tony’s A.I. assistant, F.R.I.D.A.Y.

“Good morning Miss Romanoff, Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark and Miss Potts are with the rest of the guests are outside in the lounge area behind the house. If you would like to join them for brunch, just continue through the foyer.”

The glass doors opened, allowing Steve and Natasha to walk through.

“Thanks, F.R.I.D.A.Y,” they spoke in unison.

Steve knew it wasn’t Nat’s first time there. But it was still weird for him to see how at home she seemed as they walked through the house.

Nat and Tony had become friends through Pepper. When Tony had hired SHIELD to protect her, Nat had been assigned to be her personal bodyguard. Most of the time, wherever Pepper went, so did Tony. So it wasn’t surprising to Steve that they had developed a close relationship. Still, he would never admit it, but it made him jealous at times to see how close they all were.

The backside of the house turned out to be just as stunning as the rest of the compound. Steve could even admit that the scenery was even better with the river flowing so closely nearby. It was still a reasonable distance away, but not so far that you couldn’t walk there. The boathouse was also bigger than what he had imagined initially. Now that Steve could see it better, it resembled a large wooden cabin.

“You know, if you would actually agree to hang out with us more often, you wouldn’t be seeing this for the first time,” Nat told him.

Steve knew she was right, but he wouldn’t admit it out loud.

“It’s nice. But I prefer the peace and quiet of my loft than to have to hear anything egotistical that comes out of Tony’s mouth.”

Nat sighed and rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless.”

It was easy to spot Tony and the rest of his guests as they walked outside. Like always, Tony seemed to be speaking with everyone’s attention on him. Steve and Nat were spotted almost instantly as they approached.

“Oh look, it’s Black Widow and the Capsicle. Nice of you to join us,” Tony remarked smugly.

“I’m never going to forgive you for telling him that story,” Steve grumbled under his breath.

“You were the one that thought you could walk out into the Serbian wilderness without weather-appropriate gear,” Nat hissed, a fake smile on her face as they walked up to Tony and Pepper.

The couple greeted redhead warmly and thanked her for being in attendance. When Steve approached, he politely shook Tony’s hand and gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek. He had also worked with Pepper for a long time and considered her to be a friend. He just didn’t have a friendly relationship with her future husband.

The two best friends made the rounds to greet everyone else. Clint and his wife, Laura, were the first to greet them.

Clint, of course, was one of Steve and Nat’s closest friends. He and Steve had been in the Army together, both recruited into Army’s Special Forces. Steve had only met Laura after years of working together. Clint was a very private guy.

Next were Thor and Jane.

Thor was a client-turned-friend of Steve’s. He was a Norweigan businessman that was akin to royalty in Norway and ran a company named ASGARD that specialized in creating unique special weapons for military forces. Their most popular product was a giant hammer looking weapon that used palmprint technology so only the owner could pick it up. ASGARD had been SHIELD’s second multi-million dollar contract.

Dr. Jane Foster was a brilliant Astrophysicist and also Thor’s girlfriend. Why she was with him, Steve wasn’t sure, but he thought she a sweetheart who was way too smart to be with Thor.

Then there was Colonel James Rhodes or Rhodey. Rhodey was Tony’s best friend and an officer for the U.S. Air Force’s Department of Acquisitions. Steve had met him while working for Stark.

Finally, there was Sam. Sam was another close friend of Steve’s. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran who had been injured while serving. They had met at the V.A. office, where Steve would occasionally visit to recruit vets to work for SHIELD. He had seen a lot of fight left in Sam and hired him on the spot. Now Sam led one of SHIELD’s top strike teams, the Falcons.

“It’s good to see you out of your cave, Cap. I think I see more of your artwork then I see you,” Sam joked as they embraced. “We miss you in D.C.”

“Brooklyn isn’t a world away, you know. You can always visit,” Steve commented as he took a seat next to him on the couch.

“Too busy, Cap. These government contracts don’t let us rest. I’m starting to think the U.S. military isn’t recruiting anymore. They’re leaving it all up to us.”

“Oh, we’re recruiting all right. We just leave the risky stuff to you guys,” Rhodey interjected, pointing his beer bottle their way.

“Where’s Bruce,” Nat asked, interrupting any military talk that was about to ensue.

“He’s inside,” Jane answered. She was cuddled up against Thor on a loveseat.

They were all under a large shaded lounge area with an adjacent outdoor kitchen, which Steve was pretty sure had never been touched. 

“The big guy is probably having a moment. He didn’t look so well. Maybe you want to check on him,” Tony smirked. Nat flipped him off.

Steve fought a smile.

Bruce eventually joined them. Apparently, he had an allergic reaction to something he ate and had gotten sick. He claimed to have been feeling better, but Steve thought he still looked a little green.

More guests arrived as time went on. Wanda and Vis got there a few hours later from Scotland, where they were currently living. Wanda was a renowned psychotherapist who Steve had really disliked at first because of the way she would psychoanalyze him.

Wanda had hired him to be her bodyguard after she was referred to SHIELD by Tony when a patient of hers began stalking her. Little by little, Wanda had gotten Steve to open up to her, and eventually, they became good friends. She had helped him realize working for SHIELD wasn’t making him happy and had supported his retirement.

Vis was Wanda’s techy husband. He was the owner of a tech company that was huge in Europe and Asia. Vis and Tony had been friends in college, and it was through Tony that Vis and Wanda had met.

Wanda and Vis’s arrival was followed by some of Tony’s close friends like Happy, his former bodyguard, and Phil Coulson, a former employee of Stark’s. Phil was recruited by SHIELD when they took over security for Stark Industries.

“You know, I’m happy you decided to come, Steve. I was a bit disappointed when you told me a month ago you weren’t attending. I had to resist putting on my therapist hat to try to change your mind,” Wanda told Steve, taking a sip of her wine.

The two friends lounged poolside while the others splashed around in the pool. 

“Yeah, I’m glad I came too. I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy myself. I only came as a favor to Nat,” Steve replied, looking over at his friends in the pool. They looked like they were having a lot of fun. He was happy just to watch them.

“Why didn’t you think you’d enjoy yourself?” Wanda asked, getting his attention.

Steve raised a brow at her. “You got your therapist hat on?”

She laughed. “No, my friend hat is firmly on right now. Just asking a simple question that any friend would ask.”

He shook his head with a chuckle, not believing her one bit.

“Well, if you really want to know. When I really sit and think about it, I’m just tired of everyone expecting me to be the guy that I was back when I was in SHIELD. I’m not Captain Steve Rodgers anymore. I’m just Steve from Brooklyn.”

Wanda nodded. Steve could tell by the softness of her gaze that she understood him.

“Nobody expects you to be Captain Rodgers, you know? You said it yourself, you’re not him anymore. It’s just a persona now. So why not be yourself then? Are you worried about what people will think about this new you?”

Steve didn’t answer

The truth was, he _was_ a bit worried.

Steve had been this whole different person in the past. He had been an American war hero, the recipient of the Army’s Medal of Honor, someone who had put his life on the line to save the lives of countless others. He had been a leader of SHIELD. Someone who the rest of the organization looked up to for leadership.

Now, he was none of that.

He had chosen to try and be happy, and he was worried he’d lost everyone’s respect because of it.

“You aren’t selfish, Steve. I told you this before, and I’m telling you again. You deserve to be happy, whether it’s a paintbrush in your hand or some stupid gun. You can’t let other people’s opinions of you make you feel guilty for trying to find happiness.”

Steve looked over at Wanda. She had this infuriating smug smile on her face that. It was the kind of smile that said: “I’m right, and you know it.”

“Damn you,” he huffed, shaking his head.

Steve could see the self-satisfied smirk on his friend’s face from the corner of his eye.

“I personally like this new Steve, by the way. It’s better than sarcastic, sassy attitude Steve that I had to put up with,” Wanda remarked as she sipped on her drink.

“ _You_ had to put up with?” he exclaimed, only making her giggle. “You were the one always psychoanalyzing me! You _made_ me be sarcastic, sassy attitude Steve!”

“And look at us now,” she grinned, giving Steve a nudge. He nudged her back.

In the evening, Tony led everyone indoors to have a couple of drinks. Steve wasn’t too surprised to find out Tony had a lounge area in his home along with a fully stocked bar. Natasha took the liberty of filling the role of the bartender as soon as they entered the lounge. She looked like a natural behind the bar.

Steve took a seat at the bar as he watched the redhead mix a couple of drinks. She moved fast, so he had no idea what it was that she was putting in there. So he was very reluctant when she put a drink in front of him, expecting him to drink it.

“Is this going to get me shit-faced drunk? Because if it is, then I’m not drinking it,” Steve inquired, looking down at the inky black cocktail with a cherry placed atop the ice. 

Nat’s shit-eating grin gave him his answer. He slid the glass tumbler back to her.

“Oh come on, loosen up a bit. It won’t hurt,” she urged, sliding the tumbler back to Steve.

Steve looked down only to see the black concoction disappear right under his nose.

“I’ll take it. I need something strong after the last couple of hours I’ve had,” griped a brown-haired who Steve didn’t recognize. She took the drink and tossed it back without any hesitation.

He looked on in awe. Not just at how easily the woman seemed to be able to gulp down what Steve could only guess had a volume of 99% alcohol—but because of how beautiful she was.

She was absolutely stunning. The woman had rich brown colored eyes that stood out against her fair creamy skin. Her nose was nicely angled and perfectly sized for her face. And her bright red lips were full with her bottom lip just slightly fuller than the other. Steve couldn’t resist zeroing in on them as they kissed the rim of the glass tumbler in her hand.

She dressed as if she had gotten off of work, wearing a royal blue blazer atop a satin v-neck cream-colored blouse that flowed down past her ample breasts and tucked into her matching blue hip-hugging pencil skirt.

Steve felt his mouth dry. For a second, he wished he would have taken the drink after all.

“While I’m more of a whiskey girl, I do have to say this is bloody fantastic, Natasha,” the brunette spoke, pulling Steve from his thoughts.

He hadn’t realized the brunette also spoke with a British accent, which he really really liked the sound of.

_Who is this woman?_

The brunette turned to look at him, almost as if she had heard his thoughts. Her brown eyes scanned his face, and when his eyes met hers, he felt his heart stop. 

“You must be Captain Steve Rodgers,” she finally spoke after looking over his face thoroughly. He was pretty sure he looked like an ill-mannered idiot. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he straightened up. “It’s just Steve, actually.”

That earned him a soft smile as she once again scanned his face, almost as if she were committing it to memory. Though, maybe that was just hopeful thinking on Steve’s part.

“Yes, well, ‘just Steve,’ it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Peggy Carter, Tony’s sister.”

Steve’s brows furrowed. He wasn’t aware that Tony had any siblings. It was a bit of a surprise to him. 

“I uh, I didn’t know Tony had a sister,” he said nervously, extending his hand out to shake her hand.

A small smile appeared on Peggy’s face as she reached forward to shake his hand. Steve felt a chill run up his arm when their hands met. He could feel the goosebumps rising on his skin.

Steve noticed the brunette glance at their intertwined hands before they let go and wondered if she had felt it too.

“Peggy is Tony’s adoptive sister,” Nat told him. “Of course, you would know this if you didn’t live under a rock.”

Steve turned to glare at her. The redhead looked almost annoyed.

“It’s alright. We don’t exactly advertise it. Though, Tony doesn’t take too kindly to the word ‘adoptive’ so I wouldn’t mention it in front of to him,” Peggy explained.

Steve opened his mouth to ask why when Tony appeared next to Peggy out of nowhere.

“Looks like you finally got to meet the Capsicle, Peg,” Tony deadpanned. “Isn’t he just as dreamy as I described?”

Steve was never one to lose his temper quickly, but Tony seemed to like to test that theory almost every time they were around each other. He didn’t know what the guy had against him, but it was getting old.

“I didn’t know you felt that way about me, Stark. I have to say I’m flattered,” Steve said straightfaced.

He felt a hand cover his own on the bar top. When he glanced over, Steve noticed he had made a fist, and Nat was trying to ease him. He gave the redhead an appreciative smile.

What Steve hadn’t noticed was that Peggy also saw the small affectionate gesture between them.

“Well, Tony’s always had a thing for blondes, so…,” the brunette smiled teasingly as she glanced up at Steve’s blonde hair and then motioned towards a blonde Pepper on the other side of the room.

Steve laughed after making the connection and watched as Peggy’s smile grew into a wide grin. The brunette’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced at Tony. Steve looked over at him and noticed he didn’t look happy. He looked like a petulant child who had been scolded.

Steve couldn’t help but feel a little smug. He glanced back at Peggy after giving Tony a cocky smile and was met with smiling brown eyes. She gave him a wink, and though it didn’t seem flirtatious in nature, Steve’s chest swelled.

They were locked in a stare when Steve felt a sharp pinch in his right hand. He pulled his hand away from the bar top and scanned the top of his hand. There were two deep crescent-shaped impressions where Nat’s nails had dug into his skin.

He glared at her.

“Oops, I didn’t think my nails were that sharp. Maybe I should get a mani,” the redhead said innocently, playing it off as if she hadn’t meant to pinch the hell out of his skin.

“Yeah, and a pedicure too while you’re at it. I don’t how your shoes fit with those toenails,” Steve scowled. 

Nat laughed. “Shut it, you love massaging my feet.”

Steve shook his head, trying to stop the smile that was fighting its way onto his lips.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Peggy watching him and Natasha. When he turned back to her, her smile had disappeared.

“Okay, well, while you two girls continue to talk mani’s and pedi’s, Peg and I are going to join the rest of the party,” Tony snarked, turning to leave. He looked at Peggy and pointed to the rest of the group, motioning her to go over. The brunette rolled her eyes but nodded.

Before Peggy left to follow Tony, she looked back at Steve.

“It was a pleasure meeting you ‘just Steve,’” she smiled before turning back and walking with purpose to the other side of the room.

Steve couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Hey, captain obvious, I would stop ogling if I were you,” Nat warned behind him.

He turned to her, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“I wasn’t ogling,” he scowled, clearly in denial.

Nat shook her head. She didn’t look convinced

Peggy was the first woman in a long time to really grab Steve’s attention. She was beautiful, but she was also witty and seemed to have a great sense of humor. The moment he saw her, he had felt something he had never felt before. 

“Sure you weren’t,” Nat said sarcastically. “And since you weren’t ogling, I’m guessing you missed out a certain detail.”

Steve looked at her bemused. “What are you talking about?”

He turned his head for a second to glance back at Peggy. The brunette had her head thrown back in laughter, and Steve felt something stir in his chest at the stunning sight. 

Without looking, Steve sensed his best friend walk around the bar. The redhead placed her forearm on his shoulder and leaned against him. He could see from his peripheral vision that she was also looking in Peggy’s direction.

“Take a look at her left ring finger,” she told him.

Steve didn’t even have to look to know what that meant. But sure enough, when Steve glanced at Peggy’s ring finger, he finally saw the detail he had missed.

An engagement ring.


	2. Family, Liquor, and a Stranger's Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'd just like to say thank you for finding interest in this story. Your kudos and comments really light a fire under me so I hope you enjoy this second chapter. 
> 
> P.S. I am not British but I do want to be somewhat authentic with the slang and phrases so if I use them incorrectly please let me know! 
> 
> And again, sorry for the cringe-worthy spelling and grammar mistakes I may have missed. I promise you I've been working on it.

For the umpteenth time in the past hour, Peggy sighed, glancing at the time. They were going to be late again.

She had made it clear to Fred in the morning what time he had to be out of the office, and still, it was half an hour past.

Peggy rolled down the back seat window of the car, and looked up at Fred’s work building, willing him to come down already. She had never been an anxious person, but even now, her knee would not stop bouncing.

“Ms. Carter, would you like me to phone Mr. Wells’ secretary? It seems likely that you’ll miss your flight if we don’t leave within the next ten minutes,” Jarvis, Peggy’s butler, looked at her through the rearview mirror.

Another sigh. “Would you please, Jarvis? I made it bloody clear to Fred that he be out by 5, and he has yet to respond to any of my messages.”

“Already on it,” Jarvis raised his phone to his ear.

Peggy yawned in exhaustion as she waited. She was so tired from her long week at work that she couldn’t stop herself from yawning even for a second. The only thing keeping her from resting was the anxiety Fred was causing her. 

“Miss Carter, Mr. Wells’ secretary tells me that he is currently in a meeting,” Jarvis looked back at her apologetically.

The brunette shut her eyes and inhaled deeply so her head wouldn’t explode. 

With a huff, Peggy opened the door to the sleek black Bentley she had idly been waiting in and stepped out. She slammed the door and headed straight into Fred’s building.

Within a few minutes, she made it up to Fred’s office and demanded his secretary tell her where the meeting was being held. The poor white-haired woman pointed a trembling finger down the hall from her fiance’s office. Peggy gave the old woman a quick smile before stalking out.

Almost immediately, she spotted a lethargic Fred through the glass window of the meeting room where he sat facing his boss while the old man droned on about who-knows-what. Peggy knocked on the glass window, drawing the immediate attention of everyone in the room—everyone except for Fred, who looked utterly zoned out.

One of his peers recognized Peggy and, with wide eyes, turned to get Fred’s attention. Her fiancé was startled and looked around in confusion. When he noticed everyone was looking out of the room, he glanced in the direction where Peggy stood. His eyes widened as he spotted her.

Fred stood quickly and excused himself, but his colleagues only watched on as he stumbled out of the meeting room to meet an irritated Peggy.

“Peggy, what on earth are you doing here?” he whisper-yelled as he took her wrist and led her away from his colleagues’ view.

“ _We,_ ” she emphasized, “are supposed to be boarding our flight to New York at precisely this moment. Or did you forget, Fred? Because if I recall correctly, I reminded you about 3 bloody times this morning,” she scowled.

Fred groaned. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, love. I must have forgotten. Today has been hectic.”

Peggy tried to reign in her irritation. Work had been hectic for _him_? He wasn’t the one that had to deal with a bunch of misogynist men every day who whined all day because their superior was a woman. 

“Hectic?” She laughed dryly, “Yes, it sure looked like it when I saw you sleeping in there with your mouth wide open. Very hectic indeed,” she snarked.

Fred dropped his head and ran a hand through his light blond hair.

“Look, I’m sorry, Peggy. But I won’t be able to leave for New York tonight. This meeting is important, I can’t just go,” he said apologetically, failing to gain any sympathy from her. 

Peggy closed her eyes and let out an exasperated breath. He couldn’t have told her this before?

“You know what? Fine. You have until the night before the wedding to get there. Because if you don’t show up, Tony will never let me hear the end of it, which in turn means I won’t let you hear the end of it either,” she said, frustrated, already thinking of what she was going to tell her brother.

Tony already didn't like Fred, she didn't need her fiancé to give her brother even more reasons to dislike him. 

“I promise, I’ll be there,” Fred assured her, taking hold of Peggy’s shoulders and placing a kiss on her forehead. 

“Alright. Then I guess I’ll see you in a couple of days,” the brunette said impassively.

Peggy tried giving him at least a small smile, but she couldn't do it. She was too worked up. 

“Thank you for understanding. I would say to apologize to Tony for me, but we both know he doesn’t care,” he said dryly.

Peggy rolled her eyes.

She left the building as fast as she could, not wanting to be there a second longer. Jarvis was waiting for her with the backseat passenger door open, ready for her to get in.

It made Peggy smile that despite her many objections to having Jarvis wait on her like some sort of princess, he still did it anyway.

“Thank you, Mr. Jarvis,” she smiled for the first time that day.

“My pleasure, Miss Carter,” he returned her smile and helped her inside. “Is it safe to assume that Mr. Wells won’t be joining you on your flight to New York?”

“Yes," Peggy sighed before settling into the backseat of the car. "But he should be leaving to New York before the day of the wedding."

Jarvis closed the door softly then ducked his head to look at her through the open car window.

"Would you like me to drive him to the airport?" he asked. Peggy knew Jarvis was asking out of courtesy. He wasn't a big fan of Fred either, even though he never made a show of it. 

"Absolutely not," she told him, "Your only job is to get Ana and yourself there before the wedding and nobody else. Fred isn’t a child, he can figure out a way to get to the airport by himself. And if he asks, you tell him I said that.”

A rare smile crept on Jarvis's face, making her smile in return. 

"Whatever you say, Miss Carter. Ana and I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said brightly before going around and getting back into the driver's seat. 

Peggy sighed in content.

Sometimes she didn’t know what she would do without Jarvis. Because aside from Tony and her older brother Michael, Jarvis and his wife were the only other family she had left.

Peggy had been 12 years old when her parents had died, which left her with no real family besides her brother Michael. Michael, having been of legal age at the time, had enlisted in the British army. It made it impossible for him to look after her.

So that left her with her parents' best friends—the Starks. 

Howard and Maria Stark—along with their bratty son Tony—had been the closest thing to an extended family that Peggy had while growing up. Unbeknownst to her, Peggy’s parents and the Starks had made an agreement upon her birth that shall anything happen in the event of their death, Peggy would be taken care of. 

And that is precisely what happened. 

After the guardianship had been processed, Peggy was taken out of boarding school in England and forced to move halfway around the world to Malibu, California. It was there where she met Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis.

The Jarvis’s were both employees of the Stark family—Ana, Tony’s nanny, and Jarvis, his butler. The couple had no kids of their own, so Tony was treated as if he was their own, and once Peggy had arrived, she was treated no differently. 

Over the years, Peggy grew to love the Starks as her family, and not once had they ever made her feel like she wasn’t one of them. Even Tony, who had been an arrogant brat, always referred to her as his big sister. 

Sadly, tragedy struck Peggy’s life a second time when her adoptive parents were killed in a car accident many years later. She had been living in London at the time, just having graduated from Kings College when she got the call. It had destroyed her. Not even Tony, who had just lost the only parents he had ever known, had been able to console her.

Jarvis and Ana had selflessly moved to London to be with Peggy in her time of grief. They had done so without asking anything in return, and that was something Peggy would never forget. Without them, she didn't know where she would be. 

_Definitely not in traffic at Heathrow, that’s for sure._

Just like Jarvis had warned, Peggy missed her flight. The good news was, she was able to get a seat on the next plane to New York. The bad news was, she already had a headache from the tantrum Tony was undoubtedly going to have after knowing that she decided to fly commercial instead of using the private family jet.

As she waited to board her flight, she sent her brother a text message.

_Going to be arriving a little later than planned. Have a drink ready for me, I’m going to need it – P_

She didn’t even wait for his response before setting her phone on airplane mode. Peggy wanted to wait until after her flight to deal with Tony.

Surprisingly enough, Peggy was able to sleep through most of the flight, which didn’t occur often. Typically, she would only nap for about an hour before she got anxious and took her laptop out to look at emails. This time, emails were forgotten.

A driver was waiting for her at JFK when she arrived, along with two SHIELD agents. Peggy felt it was unnecessary. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but it would be hopeless to try and convince her brother of that. 

The drive upstate to the Stark family compound took about an hour. It was dark out, and it appeared several of Tony’s guests had already arrived. She didn’t recognize most of the cars, but then again, Peggy hardly ever spent time around Tony’s friends. It had been almost a year since the last time she attended any social gathering of his.

Before stepping out of the car, Peggy texted Tony to let him know of her arrival. The driver was about to hand Peggy her luggage when she was unexpectedly tackled into a hug that was uncharacteristic for the Tony Stark most people knew, but not for the Tony Stark she grew up with.

“Well, somebody’s gained some weight,” Peggy joked, trying to support her brother's weight as he clung to her like a koala.

“Um, excuse me?” he snapped, feigning offense as he removed himself from her embrace. “I’ve actually lost weight if you haven’t noticed. I’m vegan now,” Tony deadpanned, motioning to his body, which didn’t look any different since the last time Peggy saw him.

“Oh yes, I see,” she said, highly amused. 

“Liar,” he glared but couldn’t hold it for long. He then wrapped his arms around her again in a more comfortable hug.

“We can’t go this long without seeing each other again, okay?” Tony playfully warned as he hugged her tightly.

Peggy’s face softened, knowing it was Tony’s way of telling her he missed her. 

“Never again. I promise,” the brunette agreed with a kiss on the cheek.

The two siblings never went more than a few months without seeing each other. Since they were in college, they took turns visiting one another, even when the stresses of finals and exams weighted on them. Until recently, there wasn’t much that could keep them apart for long.

“Good," Tony nodded, "because once Morgan is born, I can’t have you being that one aunt that only visits once a year and knows nothing about her nieces and nephews,” he continued nonchalantly as he reached down to grab Peggy’s luggage.

Peggy froze.

“Aunt? Oh my god, Tony, is Pepper pregnant?” she almost jumped a little in excitement.

Tony, who had already started walking towards the house, didn’t even stop to reply.

“Nope,” he answered, causing Peggy to deflate instantly. “but last night I dreamt she was and that we were going to name him after her eccentric uncle, Morgan.”

Peggy shook her head with a chuckle. _It was a dream._

_“Well, what about naming her after her favorite aunt?” Peggy suggested._

_Tony laughed. “Sorry, Peg, but this isn’t the 1920’s. Nobody names their kid Margaret anymore.”_

_He had a point, but she still glared at him._

“I do love the idea of it, though. Of you know, becoming a dad,” Tony said thoughtfully. 

Peggy smiled at the sincerity of Tony’s words. It made her happy to finally see him be serious about starting a family.

“I don’t know, though. Nine months is a long time. What if Pep doesn’t let me touch her?” he quipped.

 _And he’s back_ , Peggy thought, wanting to smack him.

They stopped as they reached the giant glass doors of the main house.

“Are you going to be staying with us tonight? Or would you like me to take this over to yours?” Tony asked, but continued before Peggy could answer. “I noticed you left the dead weight in London, so my suggestion would be to stay with us at least for tonight since it’s late, and everyone’s here.”

Peggy rolled her eyes at her brother’s insult but still stopped to look over at the smaller darkened home down the drive.

When Tony had decided to have the compound built only a few years after the death of their parents, he did so with the intent of making it for both him and Peggy. While most of the amenities catered to Tony’s various hobbies, there were a few that were built with Peggy solely in mind.

Usually, Peggy and Fred stayed in her modern cottage down the drive from Tony’s when they wanted privacy, but today she didn’t feel the need to be isolated. She wanted to be with her family.

“I’ll only stay with you if you have room to spare,” she joked, knowing full well that she had her own room in the house.

“Don’t worry, Peg. I’m sure I can put you in a closet somewhere,” Tony replied. She took the opportunity to smack him on the back of his head. He cracked a smug smile. 

“So, where is our dear Freddy? I’m assuming correctly when I say he’s the reason you’re late, right?” Tony questioned as they walked through the wide-open glass doors of the home. “I hope you didn’t think I would forget. Can’t let you off that easy.”

Peggy groaned. She was about to answer with some stupid excuse when she was cut off by Tony’s A.I. assistant, F.R.I.D.A.Y.

“Good evening, Peggy. I hope you had a good flight.”

_Saved by the A.I._

“Good evening, F.R.I.D.A.Y. It was quite alright. Thanks for asking,” she replied in a friendly manner. Despite not being human, F.R.I.D.A.Y always knew how to read her moods, just like Tony. Sometimes Peggy felt like Tony had somehow figured a way to transfer a copy of his conscious to F.R.I.D.A.Y. She knew just about everything about her. It was both astonishing and scary.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you please let Pepper know I’ll be helping Peggy settle into her room upstairs,” Tony requested as he rolled the luggage to the small lift down the hall from the foyer.

“Sure thing, boss,” the A.I. assistant replied.

Peggy was about to follow when Tony stopped her. 

“Why don’t you go get yourself a drink while I take this up. Because if you and I are going to talk about your flake of a fiancé, you’re going to need it,” he said, a fake grin on his face.

She sighed. Peggy knew Tony wasn’t going to let it go. _Damn you, Fred._

The brunette left the foyer and headed towards the bar area on the other side of the house. As she neared, she could hear muffled voices and music playing. Nobody spotted Peggy as she walked into the large lounge area, which she was immensely grateful for. The brunette knew she must’ve looked like she could use some freshening up after being stuck in a plane for nearly 9 hours. 

Looking towards the bar, Peggy immediately recognized the familiar red hair of Tony’s friend Natasha.

She had met Natasha a few years back when she worked for Tony as Pepper’s bodyguard. Peggy saw her often on Tony and Pepper’s visits to London and when he would meet up with them in New York. It had been a while since she last saw her. 

Behind Natasha, though, was what Peggy had really been looking for. Tony’s infinite wall of alcohol.

As she walked over, Peggy noticed Natasha talking to a tall, blonde-haired man. When she was close enough to examine his features, she was surprised to find that he was quite handsome.

Peggy’s curiosity peaked.

She watched as the two seemed to bicker over the drink the redhead had made for him. It appeared the attractive blonde didn’t want to drink it. From what Peggy knew of Natasha, it was likely that whatever that cocktail was, it was potent and it had loads of vodka in it. Vodka was typically not one of Peggy’s favorites, but after the day she had, it was precisely what she needed.

The brunette quietly walked right up to the bar and unsuspectedly swiped the glass of murky black liquid from right under the man’s nose.

Peggy had been right to assume it was strong. It was downright poisonous. But she enjoyed it nonetheless.

Out of the corner of her eye, Peggy spotted the attractive man as he ogled her from head to toe. Usually, she didn’t allow that sort of behavior. But in this instance, his admiring stare was most welcomed if the sudden tingles she felt all over her body were an indication. 

_Or that could just be the alcohol_ , she thought, too.

Peggy’s eyes scanned the man’s face as soon as she lowered the glass. His hair was more of a dirty blonde color, darker than she had initially assessed, and he was definitely taller. His pink lips full, and his jaw cut like a fine blade. Even his nose was damn right attractive. But it was his shining, blue eyes framed with long dark lashes that made her inhale deeply.

As she observed the man’s striking features, she recalled a memory of Tony telling her about an associate of his and Natasha’s. He told her he had been in the special forces and had been one of the founding members of SHIELD, along with Natasha, James, and Clint.

Peggy remembered this particular memory because Pepper had seemed quite fond of the man, sparking her brother’s jealousy and causing him to rant on about the man he referred to as Captain Steve Rodgers, a.k.a the Capsicle.

She still didn’t know the story behind the nickname, but having seen him now, she was eager to find out. 

Peggy went on to make a silly dad joke as she introduced herself, almost regretting it if he hadn’t genuinely laughed. She found his nervousness to be quite charming, along with the way he tried to avoid staring at her. But what the brunette liked most about him—aside from his sparkling eyes, of course—was his smile. Though, his smile faded almost instantly after Peggy mentioned she was Tony’s sister. 

She wasn’t sure why there was animosity between her brother and Steve, but she was going to have to remember to ask.

When Tony suddenly appeared at her side, she was able to feel the hostility between the two men as they interacted. Peggy also didn’t miss the way Natasha had laid her hand atop Steve’s in a calming gesture to ease him after Tony had made a snarky comment. She felt a weird sense of displeasure at the thought of the two possibly being in a relationship, which was foolish seeing as he was a complete stranger. 

Regardless, Peggy knew very well how irritating Tony could be so she aided Steve by adding to his teasing remark, rightfully getting the reaction they wanted from her brother. She had no idea what made her give Steve a wink when their smiling eyes met, but she hoped that it hadn’t appeared inappropriate.

Whatever moment they shared, though, was over just as quickly as Steve and Natasha began to bicker once again, which then promptly turned into an exchange of affectionate smiles.

Again, Peggy scolded herself for the feeling of dismay that washed over her.

Before following a sulking Tony away from Natasha and Steve, out of courtesy, she expressed her pleasure in meeting him once again. Peggy had to tell herself as she walked away not to look back because as soon as her back was turned, she was filled with the urge to look at him again. 

“Don’t do it,” she inaudibly whispered to herself as she straightened her posture and walked with a confident gait.

Peggy was able to avoid looking towards Steve for most of the evening and spent the rest of the night drinking and chatting with Tony’s friends, some of who she considered her friends as well. Most of the night, though, she spent attached to Pepper’s side, who she already thought of as a sister. 

Their night of drinks and merriment went on well into the next morning. It was almost 4 AM when Peggy and only a handful of the remaining guests finally dispersed to their rooms.

Peggy was so sloshed she didn’t even bother turning on the lights when she got to her room. The brunette just took off her blouse and skirt and jumped into bed. It was when she felt a hot, hard body next to her that she realized it was not her bed she had gotten into. 

The Brit practically flew off the bed when she felt the body stiffen.

To keep herself from falling drunkenly face-first onto the floor, Peggy grabbed onto the nightstand that was next to the bed. As she struggled to regain her balance, her hand accidentally grazed the touch-sensitive lamp that sat on the nightstand, successfully illuminating the room. 

Peggy’s heart stopped when she spotted a half-naked Steve Rodgers standing on the other side of the bed wide-eyed with surprise.

“Oh my—I’m so sorry,” Peggy garbled, trying not to slur her words, but it was a little tricky when she could barely stand. “This… this is not my room,” she stated dumbly.

 _Bloody brilliant, Margaret,_ Peggy mentally scolded herself, her eyes still on his muscular chest. 

“Peggy, are you okay?” Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Are you- I mean- did you have too much to drink?”

The brunette opened her mouth to answer but couldn’t when her eyes—on their own accord—moved down Steve’s body. She noticed how nicely his boxer-briefs fit him.

_Who’s doing the ogling now?_

Peggy's view was suddenly obstructed by Steve's hands as he lowered them to cover himself. 

“What?” she finally spoke, her eyes moving back up to his flushed face.“I uh… I’m a bit out of it, and I thought this was my room, but It’s not… so I should go.”

Steve took a step forward. “Um… did you want me to help you find your room?” he asked, motioning to the door that led to the hall.

“No! No, no, no, I think I can find it,” she waved him off, her head spinning and feeling a wave of nausea hit her. 

Peggy pushed off the nightstand she had been supporting herself on and stood up, but in her eagerness to leave, she pushed too hard too quickly and ended up losing her balance once again. Before she could hit the ground, she felt two large firm hands at her waist. She felt chills all over her body. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Steve chuckled nervously, “easy now.”

It didn’t occur to Peggy how close their bodies were to each other until she felt the heat of his skin on her back. Slowly, the brunette turned in his arms. She instantly placed her hands on his muscular chest to keep herself balanced.

Without thinking about it, Peggy squeezed the hot firm muscles she found so tempting.

“I promise you they’re real,” she heard Steve chuckle. The rumble of his laugh caused her brain to somewhat snap back into focus, making her realize she what she had just done.

“Oh my god, I am sooo sorry,” she slurred, removing her hands from Steve’s chest. Peggy drunkenly looked up at him with what she hoped was an apologetic look.

She watched him with glossy eyes as he smiled down at her, amused. The brunette felt her insides squirm again, but this time, it was followed by an intense wave of nausea. 

_Oh no_

Peggy immediately covered her mouth, knowing that all the liquor she had consumed in the past few hours was about to come up.

She watched as Steve’s eyes widened when he realized she was about to get sick. Instead of moving out of the way, Steve grabbed Peggy by her waist and rushed her to the bathroom. They made it to the ensuite bathroom just in time for Peggy to empty the contents of her stomach in the toilet.

A warm hand rubbed her back as she chucked up everything she had in her stomach. Steve even pulled her hair back so she wouldn’t get sick in it.

“I want to die,” Peggy croaked miserably as she chundered into the toilet bowl.

She heard Steve chuckle. “It’s okay, get it all out. You’ll feel much better.”

It felt like hours before Peggy finally stopped vomiting. She felt a bit better, but mostly because Steve was there, rubbing her back. She found it to be very comforting, despite the embarrassment she felt at the moment.

A few minutes after Peggy stopped dry heaving, Steve stood from her side. She missed his warm hand on the skin of her back.

“How are you feeling?” he asked from behind, still holding her hair. 

Peggy groaned. “Like I never want to drink vodka ever again.”

She heard a muffled laugh from Steve. She wanted to be mad at him for laughing, but the sound of his laughter mollified any residual annoyance she felt. 

“See, that’s why I don’t drink, especially anything Nat hands me,” he said matter-of-factly.

Peggy raised her hand and flipped him off. He responded with a throatier laugh, which made her smile, regardless of having her head currently hidden in the toilet. 

“You could have warned me, you know,” she spoke again, this time as she removed her head from the toilet. She wiped her mouth and chin with the back of her hand, hoping to remove any residual vomit.

“You didn’t really give me a chance. You downed it pretty fast,” Steve said, amused. His voice was nice and clear now. 

Peggy closed her eyes and pulled her knees up, sitting with her back up against the toilet. Her head continued to spin. The Brit was afraid if she opened her eyes, another wave of nausea would hit her. 

“I’ll make sure to give a pause next time,” she grumbled, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

Steve chuckled. “Wait here, I’m going to go grab something from the room. Don’t you dare get sick without me,” he warned, his voice playful.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Peggy chuckled sarcastically, her stomach doing the little flip thing it did, but without the wave of nausea this time.

As she waited, her body started to feel heavy, and she could no longer hold her head up. She dropped her head onto the rim of the toilet and used it as a pillow. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable position to fall asleep in, but she was exhausted. After the day and night she had, Peggy wanted to sleep for days.

“Wait, nope, no sleeping yet,” she heard Steve’s voice as she was drifting off. She was slightly annoyed that he disrupted her as she was about to fall asleep.

“But I’m completely knackered,” she mumbled.

“I’m assuming that means your tired. And, well, I’m not letting you sleep on the bathroom floor,” the Brit heard Steve chuckle.

“I’m not getting up,” Peggy protested, adjusting herself so she could get more comfortable, which wasn’t really possible.

“That’s fine.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

Peggy wanted to tell him to stop smiling because it was annoying her, but it wasn’t like she had her eyes open. And she honestly did like it when he smiled, but she couldn’t tell him that.

“Okay, arms up,” she felt Steve’s warm hands on her arms. She groaned. Her arms were too heavy.

“Heavy,” she mumbled tiredly.

“I just need them up for 5 seconds,” he encouraged.

Instead of responding, she used all the energy she had left to lift her arms.

Within seconds, Peggy felt the soft fabric of a t-shirt cover her half-naked body. She had forgotten that she had been almost nude the entire time, but the brunette was so exhausted she didn’t dwell on it.

“Smells good,” she muttered as she dropped her arms and cuddled into the soft fabric.

“Thanks, I think it’s the detergent I use,” she heard a laugh.

Peggy passed out after that. The last thing she heard was Steve’s muffled voice before slipping into unconsciousness.

When she woke up later, Peggy was no longer in the bathroom. She was on a bed. The cold, hard tiled floor had been replaced by soft Egyptian cotton sheets that felt amazing against her skin.

She tried to lift her head off the pillow, but the drumming pain made her give up instantly.

“Shit,” she hissed into her pillow, scrunching her nose up in pain.

Peggy slowly flipped over onto her back and tried to open her eyes. The room was dark, so it was hard to tell where she was. She turned her head to look around the room and spotted her suitcase in the corner of the darkened room.

She was in her room.

It seemed Peggy had somehow made it to her room. Most likely, with the help of Steve. Memories of the past few hours flooded her mind.

Peggy covered her face in horror as she recalled being half-naked in front of Steve and then chucking up in his bathroom. The Brit groaned when she remembered how she had practically molested him when he had saved her from drunkenly falling on her face.

But despite the embarrassment, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her chest as she thought about how sweet he’d been with her. Steve had treated her with so much tenderness. The way he had held her hair and rubbed her back made her grin like an idiot.

Suddenly, Peggy felt a pang of guilt in her chest that swiped the grin right off her lips. She had forgotten about the impropriety of it all. Steve was a stranger, and she was engaged to be married.

It was wrong for her to feel such things about another man. To feel a flutter in her chest because of his smile, or to get chills from his touch. The thought of another man shouldn’t be able to make her body react so strongly.

And yet, she couldn’t help but want it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this story won't move too slowly. I just really wanted to put both Peggy and Steve's first impressions of each other out there. Again, don't be shy to leave some constructive criticism in the comments. They are very much appreciated!


	3. Girls vs. Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little friendly competition never hurt nobody. Plus Steggy, lots of Steggy. And Cartinelli? (platonic, of course)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I just went back to school to get my bachelors and it's been super hectic. 8 week class sessions are not the business. Anyway, thank you all for the awesome comments! I really, really appreciate them! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Tiny trigger warning. Alcohol, drug use, and suicide are mentioned in the chapter. It's only a tiny mention and it's super mild but better safe than sorry.

Steve couldn’t go back to sleep, no matter how hard he tried.

Images of a semi-nude Peggy and the phantom touch of her body pressed against his plagued Steve as he tried to sleep. He tossed and turned, but even then, the lingering scent of Peggy’s perfume had clung to his sheets, making it difficult for him to ignore her sweet smell.

He had been determined to forget about Peggy after Natasha warned him against developing any sort of attraction to her. Despite the small ache he felt, he had thought it was the right thing to do. Not only was Peggy engaged, but she was practically a stranger. 

Steve had gone to bed early, optimistic that he would stop thinking about her once she wasn’t in view. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” had given him hope that he would forget about Peggy. But it didn’t work out that way.

His curiosity had kept him up for quite some time. There was just so much he wanted to know.

He had been on the cusp of falling asleep when somebody entered his bedroom. He’d initially thought it’d been Natasha hoping to prank him somehow, but he realized his assumption had been incorrect when the bed dipped, and he came into contact with soft skin—lots of it. 

Steve kept replaying the scene in his head over and over again. Mostly, he liked to recall the way he had felt. Like the tingling sensation on his skin from her touch. Or the way his stomach churned pleasantly at the sound of her rich and sultry voice. 

Steve didn’t want to stop thinking about it. _About her_.

With no sign of sleep overtaking him soon, Steve decided to get up and go for a run. He hoped it would help clear his head, and a nice run usually did the trick. 

Dawn broke as he began his run around the compound. With every stride that he took, his head became a little clearer. Unfortunately, thoughts of Peggy still lingered in his mind after running for an hour. 

As he was getting back to the main house, Steve ran into Sam. He looked as he was about to go on a run himself.

“You’re up early,” teased Sam as he greeted Steve with a fist bump.

“Couldn’t really sleep, so…” Steve trailed off, shrugging. He was trying to catch his breath. “You barely headin’ out?”

His friend nodded. “Yeah, gonna run a lap or two around this place. Should be back in an hour. See you at breakfast?”

Steve nodded. A thought came to him, and he called out for Sam. “Wait, I uh… I have a question.”

Sam removed his earbuds as he approached him. “ ‘Sup, Cap?”

There was a slight hesitation before Steve was able to finally speak.

“Um… what do you know about Tony’s sister?” he asked.

The shit-eating grin on Sam’s face made him regret it immediately. He was just so curious to learn more about Peggy. He figured Sam might have known something.

“You think she’s cute, don't cha?” beamed Sam, wiggling his eyebrows.

“What? No,” Steve scoffed, clearly lying. “I just thought it was weird that I had never heard of her. I mean, I worked with Stark for years, and I didn’t even know he had a sister.”

He was such a horrible liar.

Sam laughed. “That’s complete bullshit, Cap. But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” he smirked.

Steve shook his head, “It’s not like that—”

“It’s okay, Cap. _Believe me_ , I understand,” Sam smiled slyly. “Peggy is one fine girl. It’s okay to have a crush. Ain’t no harm in lookin’.”

Steve wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. _What was I thinking, asking Sam?_

“Just forget that I asked, Sam,” he rubbed his face and turned to leave. He was upset for himself for even thinking of asking about her.

“Wait, Cap. Hold up,” Sam called out to him. Reluctantly, Steve stopped and turned back.

“I don’t know much about her, only that she and Tony are close and she runs the London home office for Stark Industries. I’ve only met her a few times, but she’s definitely something else. Shoulda seen her last night, she beat Thor in a beer-chugging contest.”

Steve chuckled. It was no wonder she was so drunk.

“Thank Sam,” he nodded, heading back to the house with a growing smile.

He took a shower as soon as he got back to his room. Steve thought about what Sam had told him about Peggy. It confirmed his suspicions that she didn’t live in the states.

Steve went down for breakfast with Natasha once he finished getting ready. The first thing he noticed was Peggy’s absence. He wasn’t exactly surprised as he guessed she was sleeping off the hangover that she undoubtedly had, but he was still disappointed.

At breakfast, Tony and Pepper announced they would be having a ‘girls versus boys’ pick-up baseball game at noon. Steve was surprised. He never expected Tony and Pepper to like sports enough to actually play it recreationally. He was definitely looking forward to it, though.

The plan was to meet in the foyer at noon, and while most of the guests decided to stay downstairs to strategize for the upcoming baseball game, Steve chose to go back up to his room and check-in on some work emails.

When he reached his guestroom door, Steve stopped to look over at the door at the end of the hall. It was Peggy’s room.

Steve wanted to see her. He knew it wasn’t a good idea but was overcome by his desire to know if she was okay. Steve tiptoed to the end of the hall, his heart racing the closer he got. The blonde froze when he heard a pair of voices from inside the room.

_“You know what? This is all Fred’s fault.”_

_“Bloody Nora, Tony, can you not yell? And how exactly is it Fred’s fault that I’m hungover?”_

It was Tony and Peggy.

Steve knew he shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but his curiosity got the best of him. It was the first time hearing of Peggy’s fiancé, who he assumed they were referring to.

_“First of all, I’m not yelling. You’re just hungover. And second, it’s Fred’s fault because he controls you so much that when you’re away from him, you over-do it.”_

There’s a pause. Already Steve didn’t like the sound of this guy.

_“Fred does not control me, Tony. I had a pretty shite day yesterday, alright? That’s why I’m hungover.”_

Steve shook his head. He hoped Peggy was telling the truth. He would have hated to know that she was with someone who was controlling.

_“Yeah, and who’s fault was it that you had a shitty day?”_

Steve heard a barely audible sigh, which he was sure belonged to Peggy.

_“Look, Tony, I appreciate you being concerned, but—”_

“Steve?”

Quickly Steve turned to find Pepper striding towards him. He noticed she had a few items in her hands that included a large sports drink and some medication.

“Oh, hey, Pepper. I uh, I heard Peggy wasn’t feeling well, so I just… I came to see if she needed anything,” Steve tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice, but he was pretty sure he failed miserably. Pepper seemed none the wiser.

“That’s very sweet of you, Steve,” she smiled. “But I beat you to it. I came to bring her some of the things she requested,” she lifted the sports drink bottle and the bottles of over-the-counter medication. “Some B6, ibuprofen, and Gatorade. Knowing Peggy, she should be good as new in a few hours.”

Steve nodded. “Okay, well, let her know that I hope she feels better. I’ll see you at noon,” he smiled nervously, heading towards his room.

As soon as Steve made it inside, he cursed himself for getting caught. He realized how bad it could have looked to Pepper, just seeing him standing there in front of the door.

Thankfully, Pepper hadn’t looked suspicious, but it still didn’t make Steve feel any better. He just hoped she wouldn’t mention their run-in to Tony.

Instead of dwelling on his stupid mistake, Steve proceeded to take out his laptop to check his emails. His inbox was full of emails from his clients. Some clients had asked for updates on their commissioned pieces. While others requested a meeting.

He was finishing up an email to Loraine—his gallerist in New York—when Nat walked in unannounced. She had a bad habit of doing that.

“I swear, one day, you’re going to see somethin’ you don’t like, and you’ll be stuck paying for your own therapy sessions,” Steve told her, typing up the last of his email.

Nat laughed. “If you’re talking about walking in on you during sex, then I’d say that’s unlikely. You’d actually have to be having sex for that to happen, Cap.”

Steve glared at her. He stopped and noticed the way she was dressed. The redhead had on a blue loose-fitting tank top and baseball pants.

“Hey, when did you get those?” He pointed her white, skin-tight pants.

“Cute, huh? Pepper got them for us,” explained Nat as she posed, her hands on her hips. 

Steve nodded. “They’re nice.”

Nat hopped on the bed as he got up and entered the ensuite bathroom to change. 

“So, are you ready to get your ass handed to you, Rodgers? Cause I can tell you now that you boys are going to lose.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Steve snorted from behind the bathroom door. “But I don’t think we’ll give up that easily.”

Steve loved baseball, but he preferred to watch it instead of playing it. It had to do with the fact that he never really played it as a kid. Steve was always sick, and the dirt on the field would worsen his asthma. Not to mention, he had no athleticism whatsoever. He was a sickly, scrawny kid.

It was different now that he had grown out of all of that. He hardly got sick, and he was fitter than he had ever been before. Still, he never really found time to play recreational sports. He was mediocre at best.

The two friends headed downstairs once Steve finished getting ready. Everyone was standing around in the foyer when they reached the bottom. The only people who were missing were Tony and Pepper. And Peggy, of course.

While he was disappointed that the brunette wouldn’t be joining them. He understood Peggy was probably recovering from her massive hangover.

As they waited, Steve noticed two familiar faces he hadn’t seen that morning.

“Hey, you two! Long time no see,” Steve smiled as he approached Maria and Helen.

Maria Hill was one of the longest-tenured employees at SHIELD. She had been in the armed forces, just like Steve, before they had recruited her to join. Presently, she was one of the top leaders of the organization. Her job now was acquisitions and government contracting. It was why she was so close to Pepper. The two tended to work together often.

Helen, on the other hand, Steve had met through Tony. She was the head of the biomedical research division at Stark Industries, and he had often led her security team whenever she had to travel out of the country.

“Hey, Steve! We were wondering where you and Nat were, we just got in,” Helen greeted him with a friendly hug.

Steve then turned to Maria, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“It’s good to see you, Cap. You’ve been missed,” she smiled genuinely. 

Steve and Maria had dated a few years back but decided to end things when they realized they were both too busy to be in a relationship. Thankfully, the decision to break up had been mutual, and they remained close friends.

“Me too. I guess I should get out more often, huh?” Steve smiled crookedly as they pulled apart.

“Yes! You need to stop this whole ‘tortured artist’ thing and come out of your hole once in a while,” Maria admonished lightheartedly, punching his arm.

Steve rolled his eyes, grinning. “Oh God, you sound like Nat.”

“That’s because we all agree you need to get a life,” Nat remarked from behind, pushing Steve out of the way so she could hug Maria.

The four of them were able to catch up a bit before Tony appeared with a box full of custom baseball gloves for everyone. Steve was surprised to find that his glove fit his hand perfectly and wasn’t as stiff as he thought it would be for being brand new.

The group also received baseball caps. Dark red for the guys, Royal blue for the ladies. Both caps had gold embroidering with the couple’s wedding date on it.

Unbeknownst to Steve and only Steve, it turned out Tony had a baseball diamond on his property that he failed to notice on his run around the compound. It was safe to say that he was no longer ashamed to admit that he was impressed.

They all split up into their teams as soon as they reached the field to warm up. Steve paired up with Sam to practice throwing since they were both pretty rusty at throwing a baseball. Surprisingly enough, Steve’s arm speed and accuracy weren’t too bad.

Tony assigned field positions and picked Steve to be the center outfielder since he one of the fastest—if not _the_ fastest—guys there.

Since the men's team had more players, Happy volunteered to catch for both teams while Phil chose to be the umpire. Still, the women’s team needed one more player to complete their roster. 

Steve went over to the ladies and volunteered to play center fielder for them, but before he could even finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Nat. 

“Actually, there’s our 8th man now,” Nat pointed behind him, smirking with her arms crossed.

He turned to find a lone figure running towards them. It was Peggy.

Steve gulped when he noticed she was wearing the same skin-tight white uniform pants that Nat and the rest of the girls were wearing. They definitely accentuated her curves.

“I told you she would be good as new,” chirped Pepper as she approached from behind. 

He turned to her, surprise written all over his face. “How?”

“I have no clue,” she shrugged with a chuckle, “All I know is that nothing can keep that woman down.”

Steve was filled with a mix of shock and awe. Just when he thought Peggy couldn’t get any more enigmatic, she had to go and throw him for another loop.

He was called back over to his team before he could greet Peggy, much to his disappointment. They were about to start, and Tony had yet to assign the batting order.

As Tony sounded off on who would be batting first, Steve glanced over to Peggy, hoping to get her attention.

Her brown eyes met his almost instantly. Even with the sun blaring down on them, Steve could see a blush rising from her neck as they exchanged smiles. She looked a little embarrassed, and he figured it was because of what had happened in his room. Steve found her sudden bashfulness endearing. 

Sadly, their shared gaze was broken when Tony announced the start of the game.

The ladies went up to bat first with Tony starting off as the pitcher for the men. The majority of the guys had agreed that everyone would take turns pitching, which Steve wasn’t too excited about seeing as he didn’t think he was that good of a pitcher.

Pepper was the first to bat, and on a good pitch from Tony, she was able to hit it out to left-field where Thor was positioned. But even with his arm strength, he wasn’t able to throw it in on time to Rhodey, who was playing first base. That small victory for the women had only been a sign of what was yet to come.

The girls’ team had scored 3 runs in the first inning with Pepper, Peggy, and Laura all scoring runs. Only a few were shocked when Peggy hit a home run and gracefully pranced around the bases as if it was nothing. Steve’s jaw had been on the floor the entire time.

During the bottom half of the inning, all first three batters—which included Tony, Rhodey, and Sam—had been struck out by Peggy, who looked like she could be a professional pitcher in the major leagues.

After the first inning, the guys were determined to not lose miserably and began hyping each other up

Rhodey turned out to be a better pitcher than Tony, and only Wanda was able to get a hit. At the bottom of the second inning, the men finally scored with a surprising in-field homerun from Bruce, who was not athletic what-so-ever.

During the fifth inning, Steve was finally up to pitch, and the first of the ladies to go up to bat was Peggy. He was nervous, though he tried not to let it show. Unfortunately, his nerves got the best of him, and he almost hit Peggy on the first pitch. Luckily, she had the reflexes of a cat and dropped to the ground in time to avoid a baseball to the face.

“Sorry!” Steve apologized profusely, but the only response he got was narrowed eyes and a smirk from Peggy. He gulped.

The second pitch was a bit better, but it was too low. On the third pitch, Peggy finally hit a straight line drive—aimed right at Steve.

He dropped to the ground just in time to hear the ball whizz above his head. When he finally got up, he looked over at Peggy and was met with an unapologetic smile, which confirmed his suspicion that she had hit the ball with the intention of it going his way.

Steve’s heart pounded in his chest. Both from fear and admiration.

The game ended with the women winning 11-4. Neither Sam nor Thor had taken to the loss lightly and were pretty sore about it. Steve figured it had to do with the fact that Peggy struck both of them out almost every single time. They tried to make the argument that the ladies had cheated, but everyone knew they were just sore losers. 

“I will get my revenge on you, Carter! Just you wait,” Thor shouted out at the end of the game. Steve knew there was no malice behind his words, but it still made him want to keep a close eye on him.

He headed back to the house with Sam and Natasha, who were still arguing over the outcome of the game. He decided to walk a few feet behind them, not wanting to get dragged into the argument.

“The sooner he accepts that a woman can be better than a man at something, the easier it’ll be to accept defeat in the future.”

Steve looked to his left, where he’d heard Peggy walk up alongside him. He had to bite back a smile. He didn’t want to seem overzealous.

“Maybe he just needs to get beat a couple of more times,” chuckled Steve, looking to Peggy. Her lips were pursed as she nodded.

“I, for one, would be happy to volunteer to do the beating. Both literally and figurately.”

Steve snickered.

“After watching you play today, I have no doubt that you can take him on. Heck, I’m sure you can beat Thor’s ass, too,” he smiled crookedly.

Steve felt a familiar flutter in his chest at the sound of Peggy’s laugh.

“And what about you, Steve? You think I can take you on?” asked the brunette, her sparkling brown eyes meeting his.

Steve’s heart raced as he met her gaze. He wasn’t sure if she had meant to sound flirtatious, but the way she said it had made it hard for him to breathe.

“Totally,” he scoffed, playing it off as if he had no issues breathing whatsoever. “I mean, you almost decapitated me with a baseball earlier.”

“Oh, please,” Peggy snorted, “I was not going to hit you. I knew you’d get out of the way in time.”

“I heard the ball practically hiss as it went over my head!” He accused, amused at how unapologetic and stubborn she was.

She looked way too amused as they continued their banter.

“Your head is intact, is it not?” she pointed out, a brow raised. The smug look on her face only proved to show that she hadn’t regretted it one bit.

“Just barely,” huffed Steve, jokingly. His broad smile betrayed any hint of indignation.

“You are so dramatic,” Peggy grinned wide, giving Steve a playful nudge.

He glanced at her and watched as she looked straight ahead. A wide dimpled grin on her face. Steve gave her a nudge back.

The was a pause of silence between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but Steve didn’t want the conversation to end. He was about to think of something to say when he heard her say his name. Steve quickly turned to her.

“Steve, I...” Peggy paused, laughing nervously.

Her nervousness made him smile. She always spoke so confidently and sure of herself.

_Except when she’s drunk, of course._

“Steve, I didn’t get to thank you properly for helping me early this morning,” she smiled sheepishly. 

Steve chuckled. It was no wonder she had gotten shy all of a sudden. She wanted to thank him but still felt embarrassed after what happened.

“There’s no need to thank me, Peggy. It was nothing. Besides, it seems your accuracy in aim extends to your ability to not make a mess when throwing up. I was impressed. No chucks to clean up," he teased.

Peggy gasped, sounding scandalized. She gave Steve a harder nudge this time that sent him stumbling a bit. She was stronger than she looked.

“Way to make a girl feel better,” said the Brit, seeming annoyed, but he knew she was only feigning because of the dimpled, sheepish grin on her face.

Steve tenderly put his hand on her harm to stop her. “Hey,” he said softly.

Peggy stopped and turned to him. They both stood facing each other.

“About this morning? You don’t need to feel embarrassed. We all get a little drunk once in a while,” Steve smiled, staring into Peggy’s soft brown eyes.

“I didn’t feel an obligation to take care of you. I _wanted_ to. So you don’t have to thank me, Peggy,” he continued, his smile softer. “But if it makes you feel better, you’re welcome.”

Peggy broke their stare. Steve watched as she scanned his face. It made him dizzy, the way she was looking at him. Like she was memorizing every inch of him.

He wanted to memorize every inch of her, too. Not just her face and body, but her heart and her mind.

It scared Steve to feel this way. To just want to dive right into her. The feelings were so raw and intense that they weighed heavily on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

Steve knew she felt something, too. Maybe it wasn’t as dizzying as what he felt, but it was there in the way she looked at him. In her darkening brown eyes.

He wanted to explore it. He wanted him _and_ Peggy to explore it. But it wasn’t just about what Steve wanted. Peggy had to want it to. And Peggy was engaged to be married.

Steve didn’t see Peggy again until later that evening when they all gathered for some more ‘girls vs. boys' competition. This time, it had nothing to do with athleticism but had all to do with smarts.

He was pretty confident in his overall intelligence, but he didn’t really compare to Tony and Bruce, who were considered geniuses. The men were very confident going in because they had Tony and Bruce on their side. Not to mention they had Vis, who was a walking talking encyclopedia. Unfortunately, they seemed to have underestimated how incredibly prepared the women were.

Steve was somewhat amused as the men struggled to answer questions on pop culture, world history, linguistics, geography, and other subjects that were unexpected. 

Phil, Sam, and Rhodey turned out to be the most helpful in answering the majority of the questions. Steve had even helped a bit with some U.S. History questions that came up. Unfortunately, the guys still ended up losing. 

Steve thought it was fair, but the majority of the men couldn’t accept that they had once again lost. So, he decided to opt-out when they suggested that they have a drinking game competition. The ladies agreed without hesitation, and all he could think was that he hoped things didn’t get too crazy.

The competition started off with a game called Civil War, which to Steve seemed like an intense version of beer pong. It consisted of three players from each team. Peggy, Nat, and Wanda had been picked to compete for the girls—which Steve didn’t find too surprising—while Clint, Rhodey, and Sam had been selected for the guys.

The men ended up winning, only just barely. But the match had been super close.

The second drinking game they partook in was Quarters. The women won that one, though it had also been a close one.

Finally, they ended with Flip Cup. There were eight match-ups. Vis decided to opt-out since there was an odd number of guys, so he sat with Steve to watch. The starting match up was between Tony and Pepper. Tony won, celebrating with a bow, which had Pepper rolling her eyes.

The second match went to Clint and Laura, which had been fun to watch, mainly because Laura seemed to be a frat boy embodied in the body of a woman and could trash talk better than anyone he knew.

It continued with Helen vs. Happy, Phil vs. Maria, Jane vs. Sam, Nat vs. Bruce, Rhodey vs. Wanda, and finally Peggy vs. Thor.

The score was tied, and everyone in the room could feel the electric energy as the final showdown loomed.

“I _will_ be victorious, Carter,” Thor declared, his voice deep, as he towered over Peggy before the start of the round. The Brit didn’t seem too intimidated, though. She smiled up at him, her dimples on display.

“We’ll see about that, Odinson,” said Peggy, poking Thor’s chest. The Viking-like man flinched. It must have hurt because Thor was seen rubbing the spot where she had poked him.

Steve tried to bite back a smile as he leaned onto the bar with his elbow.

He was supposed to be part of the men’s team, but Steve was 100% cheering for Peggy to beat Thor as they began. It was loud and chaotic as everyone cheered them on. The Brit had cleared the first cup almost instantly, gaining the lead. The second cup took a little longer, which allowed Thor to catch up as he cleared the second one as fast as she had the first.

They were both on the final cup when Steve noticed Peggy had purposely used too much force when flipping the cup, causing it to fly through the air and bounce off the table. In the time it took her to pick it up and try again, Thor had successfully cleared the final cup.

Peggy had let him win.

Steve shook his head as the guys drunkenly celebrated, knowing that if the brunette hadn’t purposely thrown the match, it would have been the ladies celebrating another victory.

It frustrated him that Thor was so smug after the match. He’d gone up to Peggy to rub it in her face while she gracefully accepted defeat.

None of the ladies seemed upset. Most of them were tipsy, of course, but they weren’t affected by the loss.

With the majority of the group buzzed, the consensus was to have a billiards tournament. Steve, again, opted out. Not because he didn’t like to play, but because he preferred to watch the others make fools out of themselves. 

Steve stood to walk over to the other side of the room, where the billiards tables were but froze when he noticed Peggy approaching him.

“I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t partake in the competition. I was hoping to see you act a fool of yourself as I did. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel too embarrassed for this morning,” Peggy remarked as she sat on the stool next to where he had been seated.

He sat back down instantly.

“I uh, I don’t really drink,” he admitted, his heart racing as his body registered her close proximity.

It seemed that every time he saw Peggy, his body tended to react more strongly than the time before.

Peggy laughed dryly, shaking her head. “Wow, you must think I’m some kind of alcoholic.”

"Not at all,” he chuckled. “Have you seen the company you’re in?” Steve pointed to half the drunk people on the other side of the room.

Peggy giggled, glancing quickly to the other side of the room. His stomach fluttered at the sound. 

“You’re right. I guess I just feel like I haven’t given you the best impression,” Peggy turned back to him.

Steve bit back a grin. He didn’t think of Peggy as the kind of gal that cared about what people thought of her. Yet, it seemed she cared about what he thought.

“On the contrary, I think you’re amazing,” replied Steve, swallowing hard as he met her gaze, “I mean, you can outdrink a six-foot-three, two-hundred-and something pound man who is named after a Norse God...”

She let out a throaty laugh.

“...You can pitch better than half of the pitchers currently on the Dodgers roster...,” he continued, getting an affirming nod from Peggy, “...You have great accuracy when doing just about anything, which makes me fear for my life if you ever get ahold of a gun...” he joked, watching the brunette smile mischievously, “...And you somehow found the secret cure for a hangover. Am I missing anything?”

Peggy pretended to think for a second. 

“Well, I can speak both German and Russian fluently, along with some Spanish,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I _am_ pretty proficient with a gun, just so you know.”

Steve chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

 _This woman is unbelievable_ , he thought. He was more and more in awe of her every time.

“Wow... maybe I _do_ need to get a life,” Steve joked self-deprecatingly. “I’m so boring compared to you.”

Peggy shook her head, disagreeing. “I highly doubt that. I know little about you, but from what I’ve heard, you seem like a brilliant man.”

Steve raised a brow, ignoring the rising heat in his face. “What is it exactly that you’ve heard?”

“Well...” she started, smiling, “I know that you’re considered an American hero because of your time in the service...I know that you helped found SHIELD...And I know for a fact that you’re an absolute gentleman if your behavior from early this morning is any indication,” she smirked, using his previous words. “Am I missing anything?”

“Well...” Steve trailed off, laughing nervously. He’d never been so nervous to talk about his passion for art before. “I’m an artist. I uh... I paint and sketch.”

He watched Peggy’s eyes widen in surprise. He wasn’t sure whether it was positive or negative.

“That’s definitely not boring, Steve,” stated Peggy, in what Steve thought to be awe. “I can’t even doodle to save my life. I’m actually quite grateful they didn’t decide to play Pictionary tonight, or you would have witnessed just how abysmal my drawing skills are.”

Steve tossed his head back and laughed. 

He looked at the Peggy as his laughter died down to find her smiling softly at him, her brown eyes sparkling. His laughter faded when he was struck by just how beautiful she looked at that moment.

Peggy always looked beautiful, but there was just something in the way she was looking at him that made Steve want to never forget it.

“What?” smiled the brunette, seemingly curious.

He looked down, slightly embarrassed of having been caught just staring at her. Steve shook his head and looked up, meeting her gaze.

“Nothing, I just... you’d make an amazing muse,” he rasped, almost dazed.

Steve began to panic.

It had been a blatant admission to wanting Peggy as his muse. And while it may have been true, he never intended to say it out loud. The implication of what he had said was not only inappropriate but possibly even disturbing, depending on how Peggy interpreted it. 

Steve chanced a glance at the brunette and found her face to be unreadable. Quickly he stood from his seat, an unpleasant ache in his chest. He turned away from Peggy, his stomach churning uncomfortably. 

Not only was he embarrassed for making a fool out of himself. But he was scared. Scared of the mess he just undoubtedly made by acting like some overzealous creep.

“I-I gotta go,” Steve stammered, barely audible as he looked in every direction except for Peggy’s. He heard her move but didn’t look.

Steve felt a warm hand on his arm that made goosebumps rise on both his arms.

“Wait, Steve—” he heard Peggy say before they heard Tony’s booming voice call out for her.

“Hey, Peg! F.R.I.D.A.Y says there’s somebody’s here for you!” he boomed, drunkenly.

Steve didn’t even wait for the brunette to continue what she was going to say.

“Goodnight, Peggy,” he said politely, giving her one last look before walking away.

She had looked confused, and if he was correct, even a little hurt? Her facial expression had shown she was confused, but it had been her eyes that had made her look wounded.

It gutted him to think that he’d offended Peggy in any way, but he couldn’t go back there. Not when he had a feeling that it had been Peggy’s fiancé who had arrived for her. He wasn’t stupid enough to go back there just to see her reunite with her lover.

Peggy couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard she tried.

Her eyes were heavy with sleep as she laid in bed, staring at her bedroom ceiling. The room itself was pitch black, so there wasn’t really much of anything to stare at, but it was better than closing her eyes.

When she rested her lids even for a second, all she saw was Steve’s saddened face before he’d hurried away from her.

Peggy knew he had gotten the wrong impression when she had just sat there, stunned, like an idiot. It was just that she had felt such strong emotions wash over her after hearing what Steve had said that she hadn’t known how to react.

Steve’s gaze, the rasp of his voice, the implication of wanting her to draw inspiration from. It had all been so overwhelming.

She had known since the beginning that establishing a friendship with Steve was not going to be a good idea, it was dangerous. But soon, she learned that avoiding him wasn’t quite so simple either.

To Peggy, Steve was like some magnetic force that pulled at her whenever he was near. He made it practically damn near impossible for her not to seek him out.

Spending time with him was almost euphoric. Any frustration or sadness that plagued Peggy disappeared instantly whenever she was near him. It was as if he were a shield that sheltered her from any sort of negative emotion. 

So it killed her that he was upset because of her.

“Peg, I know that you’re on London time and all,” mumbled a voice next to Peggy, “But it’s way too early for ya to be thinkin’ so loudly. A girl needs her beauty sleep. It's me, Peg. I'm that girl.”

Peggy turned to face her best friend, who was lying next to her in bed.

“I’m sorry, Ang,” she rasped. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”

Angie’s arrival had come right at the most inconvenient time. But even though her timing hadn’t been the best, Peggy was still pleased to have her there.

Angie’s sleepy blue-green eyes fluttered open as she spoke, the duvet covering half her face. “You want a Xanax? I have a bunch. Take it with a bit of Vodka and bam, it’ll knock ya right out,” she said drowsily.

Peggy shook her head, disapprovingly. “Ang, I hope you’re not doing that. That’s how people die of an overdose.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “I said a _tad_ bit, English. I might be a bottle blonde, but the bleach hasn’t reached my brain yet. And if I wanted to off myself, I think I’d find a way more original way to go. I won’t be a Whitney Houston copy-cat.”

“Angie,” Peggy shook her head. It was hard not to be amused by her friend's candidness. But even Peggy could admit that she could be a bit tactless at times. “You’re too much, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah, tell me somethin’ I don’t know. Like maybe what’s keepin’ ya up,” Angie asked as she propped her elbow on the pillow.

Peggy trusted Angie with her life, but she wasn’t quite ready to tell her the truth yet. Her feelings for Steve were just so new and intense, she felt like she needed to figure them out on her own first.

“I don’t know, I guess I’ve just realized that I’m not as happy as I thought I was,” Peggy told her.

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Peggy needed something to tell Angie, and the first thing that popped into her head was that she finally realized she wasn’t as happy as Peggy initially thought she was. 

Until two days ago, Peggy couldn’t really remember the last time she had felt happy. Most of her days consisted of her feeling frustrated and miserable, especially at work. At home with Fred, she felt content at times, but then there were a lot of times when she’d feel disappointed.

Peggy tried to think back to a time when she was happy with Fred, and it saddened her that she was struggling to even think of one happy memory with him that didn’t take place in the first two years of their relationship. 

Angie sat up in bed. “Oh my god, are ya finally gonna leave Freddy?” her best friend asked with wide eyes.

Peggy looked at her with furrowed brows, surprised. How had she guessed that?

“What makes you think that, Ang? I didn’t even mention Fred’s name.”

The bottle blonde raised a brow, not looking very impressed. “Because why else would you be questioning your happiness, Peg? Ya got a nice place, _amazin’_ friends…” Angie emphasized, pointing to herself, “…you’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re rich! Believe me, men are _always_ the problem.”

Peggy chuckled, shaking her head. This was why she loved Angie. Even when she was feeling down, her best friend always managed to make her laugh without trying.

“Fred and I are… okay. We’ve both been really busy with work lately.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Angie shook her head. “Doesn’t sound like he’s makin' ya happy.”

Peggy became a little frustrated, only because she was tired of hearing the same thing, even if it was true.

“Sounds like you and Tony have been chatting. I know that you both don’t particularly like Fred, but he’s a good man. A complete wanker sometimes, but we’re comfortable together.”

Angie waved her arms around dramatically. “That’s exactly it, Peg! You’re comfortable! You need passion in your life,” Angie moved around animatedly. “You need someone that’s gonna make you really _feel,_ Peggy. Someone that makes you take risks. Someone that scares the livin’ crap outta ya when you start to feel somethin’ for 'em. Have you ever felt somethin’ like that before?” Angie asked, her blue-green eyes piercing into Peggy’s.

Peggy looked away. She was good at hiding her emotions most of the time when she needed to, but with Angie, it was different. She knew how to read her. And it wasn’t just because they had known each other for a long time, but because it was Angie’s job to be able to express, read, and understand emotions.

A lot of what she had described was the way she felt about Steve.

Steve made her _feel_. 

Steve made her want to take risks.

Steve absolutely terrified her with the way he made her feel sometimes.

“Shit,” Peggy groaned.

She never meant for this to happen. She was just supposed to be here to support her brother. Peggy wasn’t supposed to meet Steve and then develop feelings for him in two bloody days! That just didn’t happen in real life.

But it did. And Peggy didn’t know what to do.

Fred was supposed to be the love of her life. She’d been happy with him at one point. But he’d never made her feel like Steve did, and they had been together for over five years.

“Oh, Ang, I think I’m fucked,” the Brit dropped her face into her pillow.

Angie looked at her wide-eyed, moving to kneel right next to her on the bed. “Oh my god, why? Come on, Peg. Spill!”

“All those things you mentioned?” Peggy looked at Angie. The blonde nodded, urging her to continue.

“Well, I sort of been feeling that way. It’s just that, it hasn’t been because of Fred,” Peggy admitted, burying her face further into her pillow. 

Even with her face in her pillow, it was hard for Peggy not to hear Angie squeal. 

“Please tell me you’re not kiddin’ Peg? Cause this is literally all I’ve wanted for you since we were in middle school.”

Peggy couldn’t help but laugh.

“So who’s the guy? When’d you meet him? Come on, English, I need to know!” the blonde pushed and pulled at Peggy, making her laugh harder.

“Geez, Ang. You’re acting like I’m marrying this man,” she laughed.

Angie stopped and laid next to Peggy. “Well, if that were true, ya might wanna try breaking up with Fred first.”

Peggy groaned. She didn’t even want to think about it.

“You know you’re gonna have to break it off with him, right? Peg, whoever this guy is, ya can’t just expect him to be around forever,” warned the blonde.

The Brit sat up and sighed. She knew she was right. But, she still didn’t know what to do. It was obvious she wasn’t happy with Fred any more, but how was she supposed to just end a five-year relationship so suddenly? Two days ago, she still thought he was the love of her life.

“Look, I know I’m going to have to end things with Fred, okay? It’s just that, there’s so much going on right now Ang. And Fred and I, we’ve together for a long time. It’s not going to be easy for me to end things,” Peggy tried to explain. She noticed Angie rolling her eyes, but she could tell the blonde understood.

“Okay, I get it. I do, Peg. But what about this guy, huh? I mean, does he know ya like him? He likes you, right?”

That was the thing. Peggy knew that both she and Steve could feel something between them, but it wasn’t entirely clear to each other what they felt. It would be foolish and entirely premature for Peggy to think she’d instantly jump into something with Steve. The connection was intense between them, but it wasn’t enough for them to just dive right into something.

“Well, there’s definitely a connection, but I can’t say that we both know what we want. It’s not like there have been any declarations. I just… I feel something intense, Ang. And I know he feels something, too. But I can’t rush into anything.”

This time it was Angie who buried her face into her pillow. “My goodness, ya killin’ me here, Pegs.”

Peggy knew her best friend was just being dramatic, but this was the exact same reason why she didn’t want to say anything. She knew Angie. The blonde was going to keep at it. And unlike everyone else, Angie was not intimidated by Peggy.

After a few moments, the brunette began to feel a burning in her chest, and her breathing became labored.

“Woah, Peg, are you okay?” Angie asked, concerned. She was instantly at her side.

Peggy’s eyes welled up with tears as she began to hyperventilate. It was a panic attack.

The brunette closed her eyes as she tried to control her breathing. It had been such a long time since she’d had a panic attack. The last time it occurred, it had been when she’d found out her and Tony’s parents had passed.

“Breathe, Peggy. You’re okay,” Angie hushed.

Peggy began to relax a bit when she felt Angie’s arms wrap around her as they sat in silence. The blonde had helped Peggy through panic attacks before and knew that being chatty was not the best way to calm her down. Human touch and silence worked best.

Once Peggy’s breath had steadied, Angie softly let go of her.

“I’m gonna go getcha some tea, ‘kay, Peg?”

The brunette nodded, once again grateful to have her best friend there. She was definitely going to need her there for the next few days now that everything was so scattered.

“I think I’m going to draw myself a bath while I wait for you to return,” said Peggy, getting out of bed.

“Yes! A nice warm bath, and I’ll be right up with your tea, okay? Then, if you want, you can continue to tell me about that guy, huh?”

The brunette nodded.

Angie smiled and kissed Peggy on the cheek before heading downstairs.

Peggy did as she said she would and drew herself a bath. She stepped inside the sizeable ceramic tub once it was filled with warm water and sat down, laying back so she could rest her head on the cushioned edge. She tried to clear her mind by using some of the meditation techniques Angie suggested once when she was going through a yoga phase.

The techniques must have worked because she dozed off and woke up sometime later, shivering from the chill she felt from the now-cold water. She looked around to see if Angie was anywhere near.

“Ang?” Peggy called out. She heard nothing in return.

She didn’t have her phone or watch with her, so she didn’t know how long it’d been since Angie had left downstairs, but she guessed it had been a while.

The brunette got out of the bath and pulled on her fluffy white bathrobe. She stepped back out into the room and grabbed her phone to look at the time. Angie had been gone for almost 30 minutes.

 _It doesn’t take that long to make a bloody cup of tea,_ thought Peggy. Just as she was about to get dressed to go down looking for her, the bedroom door opened and in rushed an animated Angie.

“Oh my god, Peg. Ya won’t believe who I just met!” the blonde squealed.

“Who?” chuckled Peggy, a bit curious. She couldn’t think of anyone in the house that Angie would be so excited about meeting.

“I’m pretty sure I just met my future husband,” she said dreamily. “Honestly, Peg. I think he’s the one.”

Peggy laughed. Her best friend was such a drama queen, but then again, acting was her profession.

“Don’t laugh, Peg! He’s just… I mean, he’s my perfect guy. He’s blonde, he’s tall, he has the body of an adonis, his eyes are blue and dreamy, and then there’s his smile…”

Peggy’s blood ran cold as she listened to Angie describe someone who fit Steve’s description very well. 

_Maybe it’s Thor._

“And he’s from New York, too! Just like me, Peg. Aren’t we just a match made in heaven?” Angie grinned, her eyes glazed over.

_Not Thor._

Peggy inhaled deeply. No, it wasn’t a panic attack she was having, she was just trying to not to punch her best friend in the face.

“I’m assuming you’re referring to Steve?” inquired Peggy, a tight smile on her face.

“Yes, _Steve_ ,” Angie sighed dreamily, falling back onto the bed like some lovesick teen.

“How is it exactly that you two met?” Peggy asked, her lips pursed. She tried to refrain from glaring at Angie.

Though, it wasn’t like she was paying much attention to Peggy since her eyes were fixed on the ceiling as she looked up at it distractedly. 

“Well, I went down to make you your tea, and so I was about to start makin’ it when Steve came in from outside. He had gone for a run, so he was all sweaty and delicious…” Angie trailed off, her eyes now closed as if she recalled the memory.

If looks could kill, Peggy would have murdered her best friend in cold blood already. Luckily, Angie was too busy daydreaming to notice the death glares the brunette was sending her way.

“You were saying, Ang,” Peggy blurted out, putting her daydreaming to a stop.

“Oh, yeah. Um, well, then I introduced myself and told him you and I were best friends. Can ya believe he didn’t recognize me? Like at all, Peggy,” Angie said, sitting up on the bed.

She seemed so surprised that someone hadn’t recognized her because of her celebrity status. As if there weren’t people out there that didn’t like the cinema.

“And then what happened?” the brunette clear her throat, again trying to pull Angie down from the clouds.

“Oh, and then he volunteered to make your tea. Isn’t that so sweet?” the blonde gushed. “Of course, I told him that I know how ya like your tea but thanked him anyway. He was such a gentleman, he kept me company while I made the tea and even walked me upstairs. We got to talkin’, though, which is why it took me a while to come back, sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“It’s okay,” lied Peggy.

“Anyway, so turns out he’s single and not datin’ anyone. I asked him if he had a date to the wedding and turns out he’s here with Natasha, but it’s strictly platonic between them because they’ve been best friends for years, so I’m not worried,” Angie smiled.

The brunette couldn’t believe it. Angie had only known Steve for thirty bloody minutes, and already she knew about his dating life, his relationship with Natasha, where he lived, and who knows what else.

“Sounds like you two hit it off,” Peggy gave her best fake smile.

“Totally! Oh, and I didn’t even tell you the best part! So you know how’s he’s an artist? Well, I asked him if he could paint me and he said yes! Do ya think it would be too forward to have him paint me naked?”

Peggy had to close her eyes and count to ten before she actually strangled her best friend.

Was she being irrational?

Yes.

Would she actually hurt her best friend if she got naked with Steve?

_Absolutely._

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, I said that things were going to start moving a little quicker. I promise that'll be the case for the next chapter.... maybe. Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. Again, don't be shy to comment. I will take any constructive criticism.


	4. Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know. I took FOREVER to finally update. I'm sorry guys, school and work have just been kicking my ass, and that was before COVID-19. Now, before you guys start, I recommend you go re-read the first 3 chapters. I made A LOT of revisions. Mostly grammar errors, but I did include some details that I hadn't before. 
> 
> Enjoy and stay safe!
> 
> P.S. There's still probably going to be some spelling and grammatical errors. Nobody's perfect!

Peggy was thinking irrationally, and she knew it. 

She would never hurt Angie over a man. But she did admit that the thought of Angie seducing Steve did make her pretty murderous. 

Peggy had never thought of herself as a jealous person. She thought it was immature and pathetic. Jealousy only reflected the insecurities of a partner. And while she wasn’t perfect, she was raised to know her value and not submit to such pettiness. 

Which was why Peggy was so irritated with herself for allowing it to fill her. 

So far, the emotions that she'd felt in regards to Steve had been pleasant. They were warm and fuzzy. But jealousy? It turned her into a complete mad person. 

There was no fuzziness when feeling jealous. It was more like a nasty burning heat. Peggy could feel it slowly flowing up her neck and towards her shoulders like thick lava as she listened to Angie talk about her desires for Steve. 

It was irrational. Yes. But no matter how many times she repeated it to herself in her head, it didn’t stop the scorching heat from spreading. 

Eventually, Peggy found a way to quiet her best friend. Thankfully she was able to do it without being rude to Angie. She loved her so much, she wasn’t going to hurt her because her emotions were acting up. 

The Brit was still a bit irritated with her, though. It could have been because while Angie was cheery, Peggy felt like a drowned harassed cat. 

Breakfast with Tony and the rest of the group turned out to be uneventful. Peggy thought so because Steve hadn’t shown up. She had felt both relief and disappointment when she scanned the room and wasn’t able to spot his perfectly coiffed dirty blonde hair from the small crowd. 

The Brit had been relieved mostly because she still felt jealousy bubbling in her chest, and she wasn’t quite sure how she would react if Peggy saw Angie throw herself at Steve right in front of her while she was so volatile. This was something new she had never experienced before. She didn’t know how she would behave. 

Peggy was known for being level-headed. She was great at remaining calm and collected while under duress or in stressful situations. And it wasn’t just because she was raised to have a stiff upper lip since she was born, but because she had trained for it. 

Before she took over the Stark Industries London office, Peggy had been a part of the U.K.’s Security Service. Though, most people referred to it as MI5. It was the U.K.’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency. 

Her brother Michael had been a big encouragement in her decision to join since he was part of it himself. Their father, Harrison, had worked in military intelligence as well. It was how he’d met Howard Stark, a weapons contractor, and scientist who had been tapped by the U.S. government to assist on a critical joint assignment. 

Everyone had supported Peggy on her decision to join the MI5, except for Tony. It was his biggest concern that she’d get hurt. She understood he worried, but she still did it. 

Training and working for the MI5 had been the most challenging and grueling years of her life. But she had loved it. 

It was during that time she learned different sorts of tactics that she carried on to her personal life. Her ability to remain calm during highly stressful situations was one of them. But it seemed all her training was serving to be useless when faced with jealousy. She would have never thought. 

Her time in MI5 came to an end after she’d been with Fred for about a year. He had convinced her it was too dangerous and expressed his fear of losing her. Peggy thought he was a bit overly dramatic, but then Tony had also started to campaign against her as well. It was the first and only time Fred and Tony had agreed on something. 

Peggy knew she had been manipulated by Tony and Fred into quitting, but she was just so tired of fighting them all the time. So she did it. 

_Gosh, how I miss it_

Working for her dad’s company wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t too enjoyable either. There were times when she enjoyed it, but then there were other times when she just felt miserable being stuck in an office all day with employees who either hated her or wanted to shag her. 

But Peggy was a leader, and that’s why she was excellent at her job. She knew how to say no and how to be firm. In those regards, she was better than Tony at running the company. It just didn’t make her happy. 

If she really thought about it, Peggy always felt a little envious of Tony’s friends. Natasha, especially. They did the job she had trained for and made a living off of it. It really made her rethink everything. Not just her relationship with Fred, but other aspects of her life. 

Peggy wasn’t getting any younger. She had just turned 33. Did she really want to spend the rest of her youth working in an office that she dreaded at times? 

“Well, somebody’s thinking hard.” 

Peggy was brought out of her thoughts by a familiar husky voice. She was sitting outside in a shaded area on a lounge chair with a cup of tea while everyone else ate breakfast. The Brit wasn’t particularly hungry. 

“Good morning, Natasha,” Peggy turned to the voice, offering only a slight smile. 

The redhead flashed her a smirk as she took a seat in one of the chairs close to her. Peggy began to wonder if Natasha actually knew how to smile without looking smug. It was a bit irritating. 

“Trying to maintain your figure?” Natasha quipped, taking a sip of her own drink. The brunette was pretty sure it was spiked coffee. 

“Just not hungry,” Peggy smiled tightly. She wasn’t sure why the redhead was there, but she wasn’t going to be rude. She knew how to be civil. 

“Good, cause I was just going to say that even I can admire a killer bod like yours.” 

As much as the redheaded tended to annoy her, Peggy had to admit she was flattered by her statement. 

“Thank you, Natasha. That’s kind of you to say. It’s quite flattering coming from you,” Peggy replied with a small smile. 

Natasha shrugged. “Don’t mention it.” There was a pause. “So…” 

Peggy eyed her. She was no longer smirking but had her eyes slightly narrowed at the Brit. 

“Is Hollywood really all that obsessed with Rodgers?” Natasha asked. 

Peggy had to swallow the scoff that threatened to escape her lips. She did roll her eyes, though. 

“I’m not sure. Angie can be overly dramatic at times,” Peggy replied, straightfaced. 

She looked at Natasha and sensed she was being observed. Her green eyes stared right into Peggy’s, but she didn’t feel intimidated. She was just trying to read her. However, the brunette wasn’t so easy to ready. 

“Hm, well,” the redheaded started, “From one best friend to another. I wouldn’t let Barbie over there get her hopes up too high.” 

Peggy looked at Natasha bemused, her nose scrunched up. “Why ?” 

The brunette felt conflicting emotions. She felt as if Natasha was somehow insulting Angie, and she didn’t like it. On the other hand, the fact that she was Steve’s best friend told Peggy that she knew him very well, and it appeased her jealousy, knowing Steve wouldn’t be interested in her best friend. 

“Your girl is way too high energy for Steve. I know him. Plus, she lives in the spotlight which he actively tries to avoid,” the redhead explained. 

Peggy thought about it. It was true that Steve seemed very reserved. He would prefer to sit out in group activities than partake in them. The blonde’s absence at breakfast was very telling of his introverted nature, as well. 

The brunette looked at Natasha. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked, a bit curious. Their entire conversation seemed random. 

The redhead shrugged. “Courtesy, I guess. I’m protective of Steve, as I’m sure you’re protective of Angie.” 

There wasn’t anything Peggy had to say in response to that. She really was protective of Angie, just as she was protective of her. They’d been friends since Peggy moved to America at the age of 12. The blonde was practically her sister. 

Peggy nodded, the tiniest of smiles on her face. “I appreciate the gesture, then.” 

Natasha only nodded in reply before standing from her seat. She was about to walk off when she stopped and turned back around. 

“Oh, and Carter,” she called out, her body halfway turned to her. “Instead of just sitting there being all pensive, maybe you should take a walk by the river. Who knows? Maybe it’ll do you some good. I’ll let your bestie know.” 

Peggy didn’t even have a chance to respond before Natasha was already gone. 

Their entire exchange had been so weird and out of the ordinary. It was the oddest form of small talk Peggy had ever had, which is why she knew there had to have been a meaning behind it. 

The brunette stood from her seat and put down her cup of tea. If Peggy’s assumption was correct, Natasha had secretly disclosed where Steve was. 

_From one best friend to another… I know him… walk by the river…_

It was obvious, thinking back now. 

Peggy had always been a good codebreaker, she just never expected to have used those skills when having a simple conversation. But then again, it was Natasha. Former Russian spy, Natasha. 

The brunette definitely liked her a little more now. 

Just as Natasha had suggested, Peggy walked off towards the river. The river itself was only about 300 yards from where she was. She took the cemented path that led straight to the boathouse from the main house. 

The path was a very familiar one to Peggy since the boathouse itself was hers. It had been left to her by her parents when they died, though, Peggy still considered it to be hers and Tony’s. She only had the fondest of memories. A lot of them included Angie and Tony. 

Growing up, the boathouse had been their summer home. It had been the only property on the grounds back then. Every summer, they would spend at least 3 weeks there in upstate New York. Peggy found the small holiday from Malibu to be quite refreshing. 

When she lived in the U.K. with her biological parents, she had never been much of an outdoors kind of girl. It wasn’t until she moved to America that a lot changed. Her father, Howard, had loved to take up different hobbies, and when he did, so did she and Tony. 

She learned how to camp, hike, fish, play baseball, golf, surf, ski, water ski, drive a boat, land a plane, use a gun, count cards, and many more things from the time she was 12 years old to when she went off to Uni. 

Many of those things hadn’t been very appropriate for a girl her age to learn, but Peggy didn’t care. To her, Howard Stark had been the best father. 

Because Peggy had so many fond memories of her parents there, it was rare when she stayed at the boathouse, though she did try to visit every summer at least for a weekend. 

She had to keep up the tradition. 

The sound of the river’s flowing water was so calming. It made Peggy wonder why she hadn’t gone sooner. 

The brunette scanned the area as she approached the boathouse. So far, she hadn’t spotted anyone. As she made her way to the dock that extended out from the boathouse, she looked down the river’s edge to her right. 

Peggy felt a flutter in her chest when she spotted Steve sitting below a tree next to the river bank. He was several yards away, which explained why she hadn’t seen him. He had been obscured by some of the trees in that area. 

Without hesitation, Peggy walked in his direction. She noticed he seemed to be focusing on something on his lap. When she grew closer, she realized he was sketching something. 

The brunette smiled, her heart rate picking up. She found Steve’s artistic nature to be so attractive. Peggy wasn’t artistic whatsoever, but she loved that a man like Steve could have such an expressive and creative talent. 

As she approached, she tried to quiet her footsteps. Steve looked so focused, she didn’t want to interrupt. 

Peggy thought of what she wanted to tell him. He had misinterpreted her reaction to his comment last night, so she had to make it clear that whatever he thought her response meant, was wrong. She needed him to know she wasn’t upset. 

She watched Steve work on his sketch from a few feet away. She couldn’t see the sketch pad, which was a bit disappointing because she wanted to sneak a peek at his work. All she could see was the side of his face as he lifted his gaze every so often to look out over the river. Peggy imagined he was drawing the landscape in front of him. 

Only a few minutes passed by before she grew a little impatient. Peggy didn’t know how long she had before Angie, or someone else came looking for her or Steve. So, if she wanted to talk to him, she had to do it now. 

Peggy moved from the tree she was hiding behind and approached him, her heart racing as she walked. 

Before she could make her presence known, Steve turned back, sensing someone behind him. His eyes widened as he spotted her and instantly put down the sketch pad from his lap. 

“Peggy,” he said, surprised. 

He moved to stand up. Peggy wanted to tell him he didn’t have to, but he was already standing before she could get a word out. Steve stood in front of her in a very fitted white t-shirt, and dark washed jeans. He was barefoot, which Peggy oddly found endearing. 

“You know,” she started, taking another step closer to him, “it’s a bit rude to leave a girl so hastily in the middle of a conversation, especially after giving her such a lovely compliment,” Peggy said lightheartedly. She wanted him to know she wasn’t upset with him. 

Peggy could see a tinge of pink on his cheeks as he lowered his head in shame. 

“I’m really sorry, Peggy. I was embarrassed. I thought I might have offended you,” Steve told her, his eyes sincere. 

Peggy chuckled. “So, your first instinct was to run away?” 

Steve closed his eyes and scrunched his nose in embarrassment. “I guess I’m not that great at talking to woman,” he laughed, in a self-deprecating manner. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” she smiled, taking another step. The brunette had closed the distance between them, so they were only about two to three feet apart. She could see right into Steve’s eyes from where she stood. 

“I know what it must have looked like when you saw my reaction, but you misinterpreted. What you said was probably the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” 

Steve smiled and looked down bashfully. 

“So what you’re saying is that I made you speechless, then?” he grinned teasingly, as he looked back up. His blue eyes sparkled playfully. The brunette felt a flutter in her stomach. 

Peggy laughed. “And here you thought you didn’t know how to speak to a woman.” 

Steve chuckled in response. The brunette noticed he kept glancing at his sketch pad on the ground. 

“I know how you can make it up to me,” she told him, a glint in her eyes. 

“How?” he raised a brow, looking at her curiously. 

Peggy nodded to the sketch pad. “Show me something. I’ve been curious to see some of your work since you told me you worked as an artist.” 

“Really?” he asked, looking both pleased and surprised at the same time. Peggy thought he looked like a little kid excited to show off his artwork from school. 

_Adorable_ , the Brit thought to herself. 

“Yes, of course,” she giggled. 

Steve smiled crookedly and went to grab his sketch pad. He began searching through it as if he was trying to find the perfect sketch for him to show her. 

“Don’t look too hard, Steve. Believe me, if they’re better than stick figures, I’ll be impressed,” Peggy told him, amused. 

“I want to show you one of my favorites…, “ he said, trailing off as he continued to search. “Ah, here it is,” he said excitedly, looking back up at Peggy. 

The blonde walked over to Peggy without hesitation or reluctance and stood right next to her, his upper right arm touching her left shoulder he leaned in a bit. The brunette had to try to control her breathing as her body responded to Steve’s close proximity. 

“This one, this one is one of my favorites. I’ve sketched it so many times before but this day… this day I was on the water at the perfect time of day,” Steve said proudly. 

Peggy found his enthusiasm to be quite charming. 

She looked at the sketch he was so eager to show her, and she was completely blown away with his talent. She’d seen pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge before, but the way Steve managed to capture in his sketch just proved to show how talented he really was. 

The page was bursting with color. The sky was drawn with different pinks, purples, yellows, and oranges. The river with a variety of shades of blue and green. Then the bridge itself, the Statue of Liberty barely visible in the background, the city, the cars on the bridge, the people walking on top. It was amazing. 

“Steve, this is absolutely stunning,” she turned to him, awestruck. 

Steve’s eyes crinkled as he flashed a wide toothy grin. He seemed so proud of his work, and he looked so happy that it almost made Peggy jealous. 

“So you were on a boat when you sketched this?” she asked, recalling he had mentioned being on the water. 

Steve nodded. “Yeah, sometimes I go on boat tours to sketch. It’s sometimes the best way to get a great view of the city from the water since I don’t have my own boat. 

“And why don’t you buy one or rent one?” Peggy asked, looking back at him. 

“Nah, too complicated,” he shook his head. 

An idea came to Peggy’s mind. She looked out into the river and then glanced over at the boathouse. Grinning, she turned back to look at Steve. 

“Steve, how would you like to go out for a boat ride?” 

* * *

Steve still couldn’t wrap his mind around everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. 

He had gotten up early in the morning to go for a run because—for the second consecutive day—he hadn’t been able to sleep well. 

Steve had realized too late that perhaps his hastiness the night before with Peggy had been an overreaction. The hurt look on Peggy’s face had plagued him all night, keeping him awake. Then when he’d returned from his run, he’d found out that it hadn’t been Peggy’s fiancé who had arrived, but her best friend, Angie. 

He’d felt like such a shmuck. 

Meeting Angie had definitely been an experience. She had been so shamelessly candid, that despite her blatant flirting, Steve had really enjoyed talking with her. 

She had made it very obvious at first that she was interested in him. Thankfully, he had been able to brush off her advances to the point where she had gotten the hint he wasn’t interested in her. 

Steve had found her to be sweet and enthusiastic when she wasn’t trying to flirt with him. It was during their conversation that he discovered she was Peggy’s best friend. 

At some point during their talk, though, Steve must have said something that made Angie suspect his feelings for Peggy. Because she immediately called him out for it. 

_“How, do you know?” he asked, incredulously._

_The blonde smirked. “Steve, I’m an actress. I study human behavior and manipulate it for a living. Your pupils dilated as soon as Peg’s name was brought up, and_ _ya_ _hands are_ _sweatin_ _’.”_

_Steve immediately looked down at his hands. They didn’t look sweaty, but when he rubbed his thumb against his palm, he felt the moisture on his skin._

_He looked up at Angie, and she gave him a broad smile. Steve found it to be a bit disconcerting._

_“_ _Look,“_ _Steve sighed, “you don’t have to worry about me causing problems for Peggy. She’s engaged, and I respect that.”_

_“Aw,” Angie cooed. “That’s so sweet and noble of you, Steve. But what if I told you that you can both respect her relationship and get the girl?”_

_He didn’t know how to respond to that. Steve felt it was a trap._

_“Just hear me out for a sec, ‘kay?” Angie told him._

_Steve nodded, listening._

_“I’ve known Peggy forever. I know her like the back of my dainty little hand. Now, I can’t say much_ _‘_ _cause_ _that would be breaking the girl code, but I_ know for sure _you have a shot with Peggy.”_

_Steve opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by Angie._

_“Don’t ask, I’m not_ _gonna_ _tell you how I know,” she smirked, shaking her head._

_Steve frowned._

_“Oh, stop it. You can’t pout like that, it’s not fair,” Angie warned, pointing her finger at his face._

_He chuckled. Maybe Angie was a little crazy, but she sure was funny._

_“Now, just answer me this. How do you feel about being friend-zoned? And how long are you willing to wait?”_

The conversation continued with Steve telling Angie a summarized version of everything that had happened since they’d met, which included the incident from the night before. Angie hadn’t been too happy with him about that one. Though, she did say he hadn’t completely messed it up. 

_“You_ _gotta_ _apologize to her, and whatever you do, do not say you didn’t mean it, got that?” Angie warned, waving her finger in his face._

_“Yes, geez, I wasn’t going to deny it,” Steve held his hands up in surrender._

The big plan Angie had ended up suggesting to help Steve win Peggy over was just simply becoming friends with her, which Steve thought he would have probably done so anyway. 

_“You can’t kiss her, got that? You can’t make any moves. Flirting? Yes. Touching? Hugs only and maybe a kiss on the cheek depending on how well_ _ya_ _can restrain yourself,” Angie told him, her brow arched._

_Steve had to bite back a smile_ _as he shook his head. What had he gotten himself into?_

He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to be friends with Peggy. But something that Steve knew about life was that it wasn’t always easy. He knew he could be patient, and that only time would tell if what he felt for Peggy was real, or if it was infatuation. 

Steve believed becoming friends was a great way to test his feelings. If his feelings for Peggy only grew, then his feelings were real. If they faded and became platonic, then it was just infatuation. The only thing that scared him the most was the possibility of Peggy not reciprocating his feelings. Though Angie swore, she had a good feeling things were going to work out for them. He wouldn’t believe it until it happened. 

“ _Watch, in a few years, you and Peg are_ _gonna_ _be thanking me. I am_ _gonna_ _be the maid of honor at your wedding, and_ _ya_ _gonna_ _end up_ _namin_ _’ your firstborn after me,” Angie rambled._

_Steve shook his head, laughing. She was too much._

_“Oh yeah? What if it’s a boy?” he asked,_ _challenging her with a raised brow._

_Angie_ _scrunched up her forehead as if it_ _wasn’t_ _obvious_ _._ _“_ _Angelo_ _,_ _duh_ _?_ _It’s_ _a_ _t_ _imeless_ _name_ _.”_

After his conversation with Angie, he’d gone up to his room to shower. He couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t felt a little revitalized after speaking with Peggy’s best friend. She’d given him a little hope that things would work out. 

Natasha had stopped by his room with breakfast. It was surprising, seeing as she never brought him breakfast. Ever. Though soon, he found the reason for the room service. 

_“What’s going on with you and Carter?”_

_Steve stared at Nat with a piece of toast still in his mouth. The redhead didn’t look very impressed._

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” he swallowed his food_ _,_ _washing it down with_ _some_ _orange juice._

_Nat rolled her eyes. “Do you honestly think I don’t notice the stares between you two?”_

_“What stares?” he asked, acting dumb while taking another bite._

_“You’re pissing me off, Rodgers,” she warned. “Maybe I should go talk to Carter.”_

_The redhead headed towards the door._

_Steve groaned. “Yes, fine. I like Peggy.”_

_Nat turned back around_ _, a smirk on her face._

_“Don’t worry, I’m not planning on doing anything stupid,” Steve sighed. He didn’t really need to hear anything from Nat. He knew how she felt about Peggy._

_“Then what_ are _you going to do? I know you, Steve. Me and you, we don’t let go of things easily,” she told him. The redhead_ _actually looked_ _somewhat concerned._

_Steve sighed. “I’m going to be her friend. That’s it,” he admitted, shrugging. It wasn’t a lie._

_Nat closed her eyes and groaned. “Are you kidding? You’re really going to do this whole pine-after-your-friend thing? Then when she finally realizes she_ _actually likes_ _you, you’re not going to be available, and so then It’ll be a whole back and forth thing, and you both will end up alone.”_

_He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve been watching way too many movies.”_

_“That shit can happen in real life too, you know,” she grumbled, her arms crossed._

_Steve looked up at her and smiled softly. He stood and walked over to her, placing both his hands on her shoulders._

_“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m a tortured artist, I need to feel tortured, or else I can’t paint anything,” he said mockingly._

_Nat rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Since we’re on the subject of art. When exactly are you going to go do that? I thought you would have done it already by now. We only_ _have_ _one night left. Tomorrow’s the ceremony, and it’s in the city.”_

_Steve thought_ _she_ _had a good point._

_“Well, what are we supposed to be doing today?” he asked. He wasn’t aware of the itinerary. He’d left that up to Nat._

_“Rehearsal dinner is tonight. There’s nothing planned during the day since Tony and Pep have their rehearsal ceremony around mid-day, and some of the group have to fly into the city with them.”_

_Steve nodded. He didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to get some sketching in._

_“Maybe I’ll go right now. I mean, you already brought me breakfast,” Steve pointed to the tray on his bed._

_The redhead nodded and headed towards the door. “Sounds good. Where are you planning to go?_

_Steve thought about it for a second. “I don’t know. Probably near the river, next to that boathouse.”_

After his conversation with Natasha, Steve had gotten dressed and left with his sketchpad and pastels in hand. He’d headed straight for the river where he knew he could find something to sketch out. And he had, almost immediately. 

Steve had almost been finished with his sketch when he’d heard someone approach him. That, someone, had turned out to be Peggy. 

Now, Steve was sitting in a deck boat out on the river with the brunette steering it as they rode on the water. 

“You know, it’s nice to have friends who have boats,” Steve chuckled as he sat there, watching Peggy steer the boat. 

The air was blowing Peggy’s hair all over the place as they traveled fast through the water, but despite her hair getting messed up, she still looked beautiful 

“So, is that it? You just want me for my boat?” The brunette turned to him with a smirk. It was difficult for him not to focus in on her bold red lips. 

Steve chuckled. "I guess your pitching arm can come in handy, too,” he shouted so she could hear. 

Peggy turned around and stuck her tongue out at him, feigning a glare. 

He wished he could tell her so many other reasons why he ‘wanted’ her. But they weren’t an appropriate thing to say to a friend. 

Though they had gotten on the boat with the intention of him sketching something while he was out on the water, his sketchpad had been long forgotten. Instead he preferred to enjoy his alone time with Peggy. 

Steve rose from the spot where he was sitting and walked over to Peggy so he could stand behind her as she steered. 

“You know, it’s nice not being the captain for once,” Steve spoke, leaning down so she could hear without him having to shout. 

He felt chills all over as his body responded to Peggy’s close proximity. Steve noticed the goosebumps rising on her exposed arms from the loose white tank top she was wearing. He smiled knowing he had an effect on her too, just like she had on him. 

“And here, I thought you’d be jealous,” she turned her body slightly to look back at him. 

Steve smiled down at her, catching the glint in her eyes. 

Suddenly the boat rocked hard as they hit the current a little too fast and both Steve and Peggy fell. Thankfully, they hadn’t fallen out of the boat. Unfortunately, though, they ended up on the floor of the cabin with Peggy landing on top of Steve. 

They both groaned as soon as they hit the hard surface. Peggy placed a hand on Steve’s chest and lifted herself slightly, instantly meeting Steve’s eyes. 

Steve was pretty sure Peggy could feel his heart pounding in his chest. 

Neither of them said anything as they looked into each other’s eyes. With the way she was staring at him, her eyes dropping to his lips, it was difficult for Steve to fight the temptation to kiss her. 

Peggy just looked so beautiful. Her flushed face, her darkened brown eyes, her slightly opened full pink lips. If it wasn’t for shouting voice in the back of his head—that sounded eerily like Angie—he probably would have said ‘to hell with it.’ 

“Maybe I should have been the captain after all. I mean, nobody’s perfect” Steve swallowed, hoping to break the unmistakable sexual tension between them. 

Peggy narrowed her gaze, her eyes smiling. “It was your fault!” she punched his chest softly. 

The brunette moved to stand up as did Steve, but Peggy pushed him down as he tried getting up. 

“Hey! How was it my fault?” he chuckled, attempting to stand a second time. 

“You distracted me,” she huffed, turning back to the wheel of the boat, which was currently floating downstream idly. 

Steve noticed she was panting. It made him feel a little giddy. 

_I think I'm going to like this friendship_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, guys, let me know what you thought! How's the pace? Too slow? How about the flashbacks? Were they okay? Would you rather I don't put them in? And also tell me if you like that I keep switching POV back and forth. Thanks!


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